Kiss and I Will Surrender
by Fifi McFu
Summary: Falling in love with another boy is troublesome enough, especially when you thought you were straight. Factor in malicious pasts, dark secrets and the stress of the music world and it's a whole different ball game. FFVII Crossover, Soxas
1. The Sharpest Lives

_Hi everybody! This is my first ever Kingdom Hearts fic! In case you spot similarities along the way in this story, yes, it is loosely based on the story of NANA by Ai Yazawa. So don't yell at me for stealing the idea. It is only LOOSELY based! I know he doesn't appear in the game, but I had to put Zack Fair in this story! He just fits the profile of my bassist character so well! It was going to be Axel but he's too... skinny, lol. The character had to be quite 'manly', and Zack just fits that profile..._

_**IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE STORY: Each chapter is based around one song and entitled thus. They are all songs which I feel display Roxas' current state of mind, and thus the type of songs he is likely to perform. All of them also are performed by bands, in which it is easy to picture Roxas being the vocalist. You don't have to listen to the songs, but if you do, it will set you up for the right vibe for each chapter. **  
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_So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of Kiss and I Will Surrender._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or NANA._  
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Kiss and I Will Surrender**

One

The Sharpest Lives

Sora hated crowds. His cobalt eyes were framed with a frown as he followed his red haired friend through the throngs of people. He wondered what Kairi was doing, bringing him to such an underground place. Everyone here had facial piercings and Mohawks, unnatural colours in their hair, tight black clothes and heavy metal boots. Kairi in her bright pink, and he in his faded jeans and hoody, stood out like a sore thumb. But here he was, being pulled through the crowd by the wrist, trying not to catch anyone's gaze. He was only here because Kairi wanted to be here, and she only wanted to be here because her new boyfriend was the drummer for the band that they were here to see.

They reached the stage, and Sora took the time now to look at the place they were in. They had descended several flights of stairs, so he judged that they were in a basement. The walls were covered in graffiti, and the floor was sticky. The ceiling was low, and the red lights gave the place a seedy feeling. Overall, he wasn't enjoying himself thus far.

"So what was Riku's band called again?" he shouted over the din of awful punk music that was currently being played through a set of huge speakers that made the floor vibrate with bass.

"I don't know; something Spanish!" she yelled back, shrugging. Sora rolled his eyes. Did she and Riku do any actual _conversing_ on their many dates? But then again, Kairi had a memory like a sieve, so she probably had just forgotten. She looked excited, happier than she had been since her last serious relationship with that creep Xemnas. Kairi's life was a rollercoaster of falling in and out of love. She had no in between. She couldn't just _like_ someone. Every guy she met was a potential husband. Sora wondered how he had ended up as just her friend, and had not been sized up to be a lover. As far as he knew, he was Kairi's _only_ male friend.

They waited, trying to ignore the trash being played over the speakers, and holding their positions at the front. As the time drew nearer to when Riku's band would be playing, more people started to press in. Sora nearly choked on the claustrophobia. He hated being Kairi's friend sometimes. None of her female friends agreed to her every whim like he did. He couldn't help it, he had a weak disposition. He couldn't say no to anybody. And so he always found himself being dragged off on Kairi's latest adventure, whilst Olette and Naminé simply waved and wished him good luck.

"Oh, here they come!" Kairi suddenly cried, as the lights dimmed. The stage was dark. The silhouettes of the mikes, amps and the drum kit were all that could be seen. A spotlight fell over the drums as Riku emerged from the side door. Sora could understand Kairi's attraction to him. He was tall, with toned, muscular arms, and long silver hair that framed a strongly angled face and ice blue eyes. A half-assed smirk always tugged at the corners of his lips. He waved to the reasonably sized crowd, and sat down at the drum kit.

The bass guitarist's mike was then lit up, and a fairly tanned, black haired older teen walked on stage, his incredible electric blue eyes piercing the darkness with unbelievable energy. His raven black hair was long, reaching down his back like feathers, with two large locks spiked forwards to fall either side of his face. He gave a cheeky grin to the waiting punks and set his bass up, taking up position behind his microphone.

Then the lead guitarist's microphone was highlighted. Another older boy slouched on, his electric blue eyes equally as piercing as the black haired bassist's, making Sora wonder if the two were related. But this boy's skin was so pale it was like marble, and his hair was extremely fair, in perfectly sculpted spikes, none falling past his chin. He had a confused, lost expression on his face as he took up his position, chewing his lip nervously.

The singer's mike remained dark for the moment. After a quick sound test, the three men exchanged looks, and with a count down from Riku, they started to play. Heavy, dark chords, filled with passion and anger reverberated around the room. The guitarist looked lost in the music, his eyes closed as the music swirled around him. The bassist was determined, but grinning, the dark music accentuating his dark features and his piercing eyes. And then, the final microphone was highlighted, to reveal the singer already standing there.

Sora felt himself intake a breath. Golden locks that looked like spun gold, soft as feathers, messily styled into rough spikes, shone in the harsh light of the spotlight. Skin like porcelain, with a few freckles dusted over his cheeks. Cerulean eyes like oceans, so deep you could drown in them. A slim, lean frame that was slightly shorter than the other boys. But what was most transfixing was his expression. He looked so sad; sure, he was smiling slightly, but his eyes were heavy with forlornness, and his smile didn't reach those sad eyes. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt that showed a toned, slight figure, and had a black studded choker around his thin neck.

And then he was singing. And all his sadness melted away with the music, and Sora knew that this was a person who was only happy when he was belting out songs, throwing all his passion into the music. The whole band was lost in the song, but this boy, who could barely be a day older than Sora, looked like he _breathed_ music. It completed him.

The song was not what would usually be to Sora's taste, but he had to admit that they were good. Their sheer raw talent and emotion-filled playing reached his heart. But he couldn't take his eyes off the vocalist, not for one moment. It was as though an angel had descended on the stage; the stage lights illuminated his golden hair, giving the illusion of a halo around his head. His marine blue eyes were closed, and his hands were clenched tightly on the mike. His voice was not unlike that of the lead singer of _My Chemical Romance_; it had that same unnerving quality to it, like you shouldn't enjoy it but do anyway. And it was filled with the same zeal and fervour as well, as if his very life force was pouring into the words.

The crowd was going wild. Clearly the song was to their taste. The floor was shaking from the beat of the music and the thumping of people jumping up and down. Fists were raised in the air in a sign of appreciation, and people were thrashing their heads back and forth. Kairi was cheering on Riku on, a wide smile gracing her rounded, cute features. And still, Sora could not take his eyes off the entrancing lead singer, who at one point opened his eyes and looked directly at Sora, making his heart catch in his throat. And then, just as quickly as it had happened, his eyes were flicking away.

The song ended to tumultuous applause and screams that nearly brought the roof down. The ghost of a grin remained on the golden boy's face, aftermath of the explosive pleasure of singing his heart out. He pointed to each band member in turn, waiting out the screams that followed. The bassist and guitarist received pretty loud cheering, and Riku got his fair share of applause as he raised his drum sticks in war-like triumph. But when all three musicians then pointed to the lead singer, Sora thought his eardrums would erupt. People were so rabid, ecstatic, crazy in love with the boy, that they were throwing possessions at him as presents, and begging him to sing again. He gave another of his smiles that didn't reach his eyes.

"Everyone, we are Reizones, and goodnight!" he called in his enchanting voice. There was screaming, groans of disappointment, cheering, applause. The band exited the stage, leaving Sora absolutely struck dumb. He looked at Kairi with wide, incredulous eyes, and she looked back, wearing a similar expression.

"Wow," she mouthed, and Sora nodded frantically in answer. He could have died right then and gone to heaven, and he would have been happy. To hear that sort of enthusiasm and fervour thrown into one song was enough to make his heart explode. A grin was plastered to his tanned face, and Kairi mirrored it with equal gusto. Predicting that neither of them wanted to stay to see the other bands, she grabbed Sora's hand once more and they edged through the bigoted crowd, their silly smiles still gracing their features.

Outside, it was snowing. A full on blizzard. They shivered fiercely, pulling their coats on and keeping close together.

"They'll be out in a moment," his best friend yelled over the roar of the snow, white flecks of frozen water landing in her nearly-pink hair. "Then we can all go for a drink!"

Sora considered. A drink sounded like a good idea. Maybe _he_ would be there? He had no idea why, but he desperately wanted to know this guy. He wanted to know his name, his age, his hobbies, his favourite song, his loves, his hates, his heritage, his _shoe size_. _Any_ information was welcome right now; the only data he had was that the guy was good looking, an amazing singer, and was in a band.

"A drink would be wicked," he yelled back to Kairi. She squealed and hugged him tightly, bouncing up and down.

"You're the bestest friend I've ever had Sora!" she cried, as they hurried into the side alleyway, where the back entrance was. This was where the band would be emerging from. The close walls shielded them mostly from the bitter wind and harsh, biting snow, and they huddled together by the door, buttoning their coats together and wrapping their long scarves around their hands. Kairi grinned at him, her nose red from the cold, and they conversed shakily in the cold, looking like two penguins snuggling up for the night.

Sora was just telling Kairi about his latest painting when they heard raucous laughter from behind the door. They quickly unbuttoned themselves from each other, so as not to give the wrong impression, and watched the door eagerly. The handle turned and Riku and the dark haired bassist emerged, laughing at something which they evidently thought was hilarious, because Riku actually had tears in his eyes, and the bassist was double over clutching his stomach. Their hilarity quickly subsided though when they stepped into the cold in just their leather jackets.

"FUCK its cold!" Riku cursed, catching sight of Kairi and sweeping her up into a hug in all her wrapped-up glory. "Hey babe," he said adoringly, kissing her red nose and grinning at her cheekily. Her already flushed face went even pinker and she giggled. The drummer then saw Sora huddled in on himself, feeling the cold now that he didn't have the portable hot water bottle that was his best friend. "Hey there Sora, glad you made it!" he called, giving the shivering young adult a thumbs up. Sora returned it, which was difficult because he was wearing mittens.

The bassist, who seemed less affected by the cold than the others, ruffled Kairi's hair, grinning boyishly when she pouted at him. "Zack!" she yelled, her gloved hand reaching up to flatten her hair again. The tall, older boy laughed again.

"Aw, did I mess your 'do up Kai?" he asked, winking one incredibly blue eye at her. He turned then to Sora, who had attempted to stand up straight instead of curling up into a shivering ball like his body longed to do. "I'm Zack Fair," he said, extending one huge tanned hand. Sora's hand was swamped by it as he shook it, even with the bulky gloves he was wearing. "Thanks for coming to the show."

Sora shook his head. "The p-pleasure is a-all m-mine," he stuttered, forcing his frozen face into a grin. "W-where are th-the others?"

"Oh, the Strife brothers will be along in a little while," Riku said; this action had meant he had to stop kissing Kairi, or 'warming her lips up' as he put it, and she gave a puppy like whine. They all laughed then, and she pouted.

"So if they're going to be a while, shall we head straight to Jackson's?" she asked then, not stuttering at all because she was wearing about thirty layers. And Riku was cuddling her too. Sora wanted to cuddle someone; it wasn't fair that he had to give his hot water bottle back to her appropriated boyfriend.

"Well, unless you want to freeze, kitten," Riku said in her ear, and she slapped him playfully.

Luckily for them, Jackson's was only around the corner (Sora wondered why they hadn't just gone straight there and saved him from the cold that was surging through his body). It was a cowboy style American bar, with a warm fire blazing in the corner and spicy nachos to warm them up from the inside. They pushed through the doors (which luckily weren't traditional swing doors, else the bar would have been freezing) and sat down at the bar, all ordering hot drinks to warm themselves up. Alcohol would come later, when they could feel their fingers.

"Why is it snowing this badly so close to spring?!" Kairi moaned, sipping her hot chocolate as she pulled her woolly scarf and gloves off. Riku put his arm around her shoulders protectively and kissed her cheek affectionately.

"Because, my cute little puppy, there's this thing, and it's called global warming. It's where humans pollute the earth and contribute to greenhouse gasses and-"

"I KNOW WHAT GLOBAL WARMING IS RIKU!!"

Zack snorted and started choking on his espresso then, and Sora had to pat him on the back several times. They left the bar and went to sit down at one of the tables. The warmth was slowly finding its way back into Sora's veins, and he bravely removed his scarf and coat, taking a long, welcome gulp of his tea, feeling it land in his stomach, the heat slowly emanating out to the rest of his body.

Zack's phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. "Oh, the boys will be along in a minute," he said, downing the rest of his espresso. For an unknown reason, Sora felt his breath hitch in his throat. The prospect of seeing that angel-like boy again sent a rush of electricity through his nerves, and he didn't know why. He supposed he admired the boy; he was incredibly cool after all. That was it, Sora decided. He respected the vocalist, and wanted to meet him in person.

They finished their hot drinks and ordered some nachos and six vodka shots, hoping the strong Russian spirit would further contribute to warming them up. They left the drinks for the moment, waiting for the two blondes, but started to munch on the spicy nachos, which certainly helped, if burning their tongues a little bit.

Sora felt a gust of cold ruffle the hair at the back of his head then, and turned around to see two fair-haired boys entering the bar, huddled up in black fake fur coats. Now that he looked at them, the guitarist and vocalist, did strongly resemble each other. They had similar complexions, and hair colours, and their eyes were nearly the same colour. So it made sense that they were brothers. But the guitarist's eyes were extremely similar to Zack's, and this niggled in the back of his brain as the two boys walked over. But that thought quickly vanished when he realised the golden haired idol was approaching him.

"Hey there," the guitarist said, a shy smile spreading across his lips. He shook Sora's hand firmly, and Sora took in how perfectly sculpted this guy was. Not a hair was out of place, his face was classically good looking and entirely symmetrical, and he had the build of a supermodel. But he was still no comparison for the shorter, fair-haired boy next to him. "I'm Cloud," the guitarist was saying.

"Sora," the chocolate haired boy replied, grinning, knowing he would finally find out the name of _the boy_ in a moment. He turned to the singer, who he noticed, was exactly the same height as him. Their eyes were level, and Sora found himself staring into the boys deep cerulean pools for a moment. They were mesmerizing, seeming to stretch on forever.

He held out his hand to the boy, a grin on his face. The boy gave another of his sad smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes, and took the hand extended to him. His hand was cool, like the snow. "Roxas," he said, in that beautiful, unearthly voice.

_Roxas. Roxas. __**Roxas**__. _Sora repeated the name over and over again in his head, ingraining the letters on his brain so he would never, ever forget them. "Hey there," he managed. Roxas gave him a nod, and then sat down in the chair next to Sora's.

"So, shots?" Zack called, rubbing his hands together, an excited look on his face. Sora sat back down, realising he would be sitting next to Roxas _all evening_. He picked up his glass, as did the others, and they raised them to the centre of the table.

"To the band!" Riku announced proudly.

"To the band!" They downed their drinks, feeling the hot spirit entering their blood streams, and so the evening commenced.

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_So, what did you think? Hate it? Love it? I personally am quite proud of this chapter.. although I am sorry about the repeated use of the word golden, but there aren't that many synonyms for blonde I am afraid!! Peace out, McFu._


	2. Thank You for the Venom

_Well hello there! Glad you could make it for the second instalment of Kiss and I Will Surrender! This chapter's theme song is 'Thank You for the Venom' by My Chemical Romance. Oh, and I have recently discovered the existence of Xion, and she fits another character profile really well, so she will be appearing in this story. Now, where were we... ah yes! Are you ready for a drunk Sora and Kairi? It's pretty funny, I assure you, he he!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Well, I own the games, but unfortunately not the copyright, but if I did, guaranteed little kids wouldn't be able to play those games anymore!

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Two

Thank You for the Venom

Sora chinked his shot glass with the five other people around the table, and downed the strong liquor before he lost his nerve. It burned as it surged down his throat like poison, giving his body a fiery burst that got rid of the last of the chill the weather had caused. He slammed his glass down, noticing he did so in complete synchronisation with the fair haired boy sat next to him. The three older members of the band they were celebrating had finished first, and were grinning as the red headed ditzy girl started choking on her vodka.

"Kai, we said drink it, not snort it!" Zack chuckled heartily, whilst Riku rubbed her back to ensure she recovered. Sora laughed and shook his head, as they all put their glasses on the tray in the centre of the table and Cloud took it back to the bar with their drinks orders. Kairi had always been awful at drinking. When they had been in Art College together, she got drunk after one beer, and downing drinks was out of the question, she was just physically incapable. Anything stronger-tasting than fruit schnapps had her coughing and spluttering, and it was usually Sora who had to save her from suffocation or something along those lines. And now that she had found a flat with some crazy rock chick, she spent most of her time getting drunk on her one beer and then sleeping in when she should be at her job.

The chocolate haired young adult took a quick glance to his right; Roxas was fiddling with a paper napkin, folding it into different origami shapes. He had an intense look of concentration on his face, his brow furrowed over cerulean orbs; he looked like a child absorbed in their latest drawing. Finally, he settled on making a fortune teller, and started rummaging in his pockets for something to write with.

"Hey, you got a pen?" he asked, turning to Sora, catching the boy by surprise. Sora jumped a little, and then pretended he had been looking _past_ the golden boy, looking away and then refocusing his gaze. Roxas looked at him intently, one eyebrow raised in a quizzical look.

"S-sure..." Sora stuttered, not knowing why he was so flustered by the singer's presence. Perhaps it was just the aura of 'cool' that Roxas gave off. He had this air of apathy and distance about him, with that poignant smile that while appearing cheerful, did not reflect the emotions of his eyes. Sora had always been good at reading emotions, and he wondered what it was that had made this boy so sad that he couldn't even muster up a proper smile.

He rummaged in his coat and found a Sharpie marker pen, handing it to the vocalist, who took it and flashed him a grin which showed his straight white teeth. "Thanks," Roxas said, beginning to write down colours and numbers on his fortune teller. "I'll make sure to tell your fortune first!"

For some reason, Sora's face became heated. _Must be the vodka_, he thought absently, turning back to the table as Cloud returned with their drinks. He handed beers around to everyone except Kairi, who had an alchopop. As soon as he was sat back down, Cloud leant across the table to look at what Roxas was doing.

"Roxas, can you stop being antisocial please?" he chided in a brotherly fashion, when he saw Roxas trying to invent fortunes, his pen stuck in his mouth.

"Let him alone Spiky, he's going to tell our fortunes in a minute!" Zack said, taking a deep swig of his beer as Cloud flushed from the nickname.

"Stop calling me that!" he muttered, looking away and pouting, his cheeks a rosy pink.

"It's not as if you can talk, Zack," Riku put in, his arm slung over Kairi's shoulders. He flipped his long silver hair out of his eyes and grinned at Zack, who was glaring at him.

"Can I make up a fortune, Roxas?" Kairi asked, leaning across to her left. Roxas looked up at her and brushed a few loose strands of his yellow hair from his face.

"Sure Kairi, what shall we write?"

Kairi giggled and whispered something in his ear, which Sora noticed was pierced several times with small black hoops and some silver bars, which matched his black and white chequered wristbands. He had a gothic silver pendant around his neck as well as the black choker, and when he leaned forward to write Sora noticed a small number thirteen tattooed behind his left ear.

"Ooh, that's a good one!" Roxas laughed, his eyes still not quite as warm as his smirk, and started scribbling something in his elaborate cursive writing. Sora pouted and looked away. He wanted to come up with a fortune with Roxas too. He stopped that train of thought then. He barely knew Roxas, why was he getting jealous over the fact that Kairi (who already knew him) was being sociable with him? It's not as if he was _dating_ Roxas, though the idea seemed ridiculous now he thought about it. Not only was he pretty sure that Roxas didn't swing that way, but he wasn't too sure he did himself. Certainly before tonight, Sora had never even looked twice at a guy before, so this unhealthy new obsession was probably just admiration or something along those lines.

"Finished!" Roxas proclaimed and, as promised, he turned to his left and held up the fortune teller to Sora. "Pick a colour, Sora!"

Sora picked the colour red and they went through the whole shuffling process, first with the letters, then with two numbers. Finally, he had to pick another number, under which would be his 'fortune'. He frowned, and picked the number 13, having just seen it behind Roxas' ear. Roxas lifted the flap and read aloud his fortune to the table of people, who surprisingly were all leaning in to hear the verdict.

"A smack on the forehead means more than just a headache," he announced cryptically.

"Y'what?" Zack asked through a mouthful of nachos, his eyebrow raised.

"That's lame," Riku moaned, tilting his head back as he swig from his beer. "They better not all be like that man."

Roxas scowled at him. So did Kairi. "For your information, Riku," she hissed, "That was the one _I_ made up."

"Whoops," Cloud stage whispered as Riku sweatdropped, Kairi's glare burning into him.

"Sorry babes, I didn't know you had it in you to be so cryptic!" he laughed, ruffling her hair, effectively getting rid of her glare. She giggled, finishing her bottle, her cheeks already rosy.

"That's because I am _amazing_," she proclaimed, earning polite applause from Cloud and a chuckle from Sora. Roxas proceeded to tell everyone's fortunes, some of them cryptic like Sora's, the others hilariously unbelievable. Zack apparently faced falling down a man hole that evening, and Kairi was in danger of being hit by a low flying pig.

"Now that we all know what fate has in store for us," Riku said, taking his arm away from Kairi to sit at the table seriously, "I propose a drinking game!" Sora groaned, but everyone else cheered enthusiastically, and they quickly settled on the easiest game, 'I Have Never'. It looked like Kairi was going to be needing dragged home tonight, she was already wobbling halfway through her second drink, a big grin on her face as she clapped her hands excitedly. Another sneak peek at Roxas showed that Roxas was also grinning, and evidently trying to think of his 'I've Never's.

"I'll start," Riku announced, once he had made sure that everyone had a drink. "I have never run down the street naked." Sora, Kairi and Zack all drank at this declaration, whilst Roxas and Cloud both looked at each other in a way that said _I really don't want to know if you, my brother, have been streaking._

"Me next!" Kairi laughed when she had finished drinking. Sora mentally sighed, knowing this was going to be an 'interesting' statement. "I have never... met a Muppet!" Unsurprisingly, nobody drank. Riku and Zack started having another fit of hysterics at this proclamation, and Cloud excused himself to go to the bathroom, so the game paused for a moment.

Sora sat, twiddling his thumbs, waiting for the hysterics to subside, when to his surprise (and delight), Roxas turned to him. "So, how old are you Sora?" he asked, seeming genuinely interested. Sora was taken aback that somebody like Roxas would give a monkeys about him, and stuttered for a few moments whilst he tried to remember how old he was.

"I... I... I-I'm nearly twenty," he finally remembered, rubbing the back of his head, a nervous habit of his. "My birthday is next week."

"Really? Same here," Roxas affirmed, turning in his seat to look at Sora properly, his eyes alight with curiosity now. "I'm twenty on Monday!"

Sora started choking on his beer, and between spluttering coughs he managed to get out, "Same here!" He couldn't believe he shared something as important as his _birthday_ with the boy he was gradually becoming more and more infatuated with. To others, it was just a coincidence, but to him, it felt like something along the lines of _fate_, or somewhat similar.

"Wow, that's so cool," Roxas stated, his eyes warmer than they were before. "We should celebrate together, what do you think?" When Sora could only nod his head, so stunned was he that he had just been asked to celebrate an event with Roxas, the vocalist continued. "Me and the guys were going to go to this VIP party after our next gig on Monday to celebrate, would you like to come along? You can bring Kairi and any other friends you want if you like."

"Did I just hear VIP?" They turned to see Kairi leaning over, a constant giggle on her lips, her face as rosy as it had been when she was outside in the cold.

"You're drunk already Kai?" Roxas asked tentatively as she swayed in his direction. Sora rolled his eyes in exasperation, whose bright idea was it to let this girl drink?!

"Yup," she slurred bluntly, a toothy grin plastered to her face. "And I just heard something about VIP, didn't I?"

They continued to converse with each other and Kairi for another few minutes; Roxas did most of the talking, explaining that the event was for up and coming bands, and had a free bar and pretty awesome music, as well as lots of private areas for big groups to sit and enjoy themselves in. It sounded pretty awesome, and Kairi and Sora immediately agreed. Sora had been planning on staying in with a couple of friends, a cake and some brightly coloured party hats, but this was by far a much more fun way to celebrate his twentieth. And, Roxas would be there. And he would be Roxas' guest.

"What do you do then, Sora?" Roxas inquired as Kairi returned to arguing with Zack and Riku about her 'I've Never'. Cloud had sat down but was texting for the moment, so it seemed that the game was suspended.

"I just graduated from Art College, and I am about to go to University," Sora grinned sheepishly. He loved painting, it was his life and soul, much like music seemed to be to Roxas, and he loved talking about it too. He had even digitised a few of his paintings and loaded them onto his phone so he could show people on the go. He brought up his favourite as of yet, a drawing of the view from the clock tower at the North end of town, just as the sun was setting. You could see the edge of the platform at the bottom of the picture, and resting on the wall was a small blue crystal, in which Sora had perfectly captured the refraction of the light, which split into seven colours and spread across the ledge like a subdued rainbow.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Roxas cried, the most enthusiastic Sora had seen him all evening. "I'll have to see that in full size at some point, it looks great! Do you do prints?"

That heat was back in Sora's face again as the pools of sapphire regarded him with slight wonder. Thankfully, he was rescued by Zack, who had decided that the drinking game should resume. He turned away, hiding his face from Roxas, who had also turned away to draw his chair back up to the table. It was then that Sora realised that it was Roxas's turn, and he tuned in his hearing carefully, wanting to find out something else about Roxas's life.

"I have never... um... smoked a cigarette." The three older boys cursed and drank from their cans, whilst the three younger people shrugged. None of them saw the appeal in smoking, it seemed, another thing which Sora added to his mental list of things he had in common with Roxas.

The game went around the circle a few times, the statements getting more and more ridiculous as people started to run out of things they had never done. However, it was enough for Sora to find out these things about Roxas, which he was pretty certain, he would write down later so he didn't forget:

He wasn't a virgin.

He had a driver's license.

He had been arrested.

He had never kissed someone of the same sex.

Gradually, however, the game petered out as they kept pausing to laugh or find out the reason why someone had drunk to a particular statement. It was then that Sora's head smacked on the table, causing Zack and Roxas (who were sitting in his direct vicinity) to yell and jump. Zack stopped Sora's can from falling over.

"Are you alright?" Zack asked, and then Sora gave a light snore. He was asleep.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Kairi said, waving her hand dismissively at the sleeping boy. "Sora's narcoleptic. He falls asleep randomly. It can be quite funny sometimes!"

"Really?" Zack drawled mischievously, his eyebrows wiggling and a cheeky grin curving his lips. Cloud chuckled, knowing that something embarrassing was probably now going to happen to Sora, and Roxas smirked, not letting on how sweet he actually thought Sora's condition was.

Five minutes later, Zack turned to Kairi, his mischief managed. "So how do we wake him up? Do we just wait, or is it safe to give him a shake?"

"Oh just bop him on the head, that's what I always do," she slurred, and then Riku grabbed her chin and pulled her into a long kiss which silenced her effectively.

Sora woke up to someone flicking his nose. _Ah great, I fell asleep in front of Roxas_, he thought irritably, sitting up and batting away the offending hand, which turned out to be Zack's.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Roxas called, making Sora blush again. Sora rubbed his eyes and looked around at the table. Kairi and Riku were still kissing, but the other people seemed to be finding something quite funny. Cloud had covered his mouth with his hand and was looking away politely, Roxas was smiling but evidently trying hard not to laugh, and Zack's shoulders were shaking and his face was turning blue.

_Great, I bet they did something while I was asleep_. He looked down to see his Sharpie pen that he had lent to Roxas laid in front of Zack.

"There's something on my face, isn't there?" At that point Zack exploded with laughter and started banging his fists on the table. Cloud chuckled behind his hand and Roxas let out an uncontrollable snort. _Oh fantastic, he's laughing at me_.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," he muttered, leaving the table quickly and covering his face with his unruly bangs as he walked through the bar. _Damn my narcolepsy! Why did it have to make an appearance in front of Roxas??_ He stepped into the men's toilets to find that, yes, there was something on his face. To be more exact, Zack had written **I LoVE MeN** across his forehead. Oh, fucking wonderful. And to make matters worse, it was in permanent marker. No amount of washing was going to get that off tonight.

He groaned and splashed some water on his hair, which was spiked up all over the place, and tried to flatten some of the thicker locks at the front so as to partly hide the writing. Unfortunately, it didn't work. As usual, his hair just bounced back into its gravity defying spikes, and no amount of water was going to persuade it to lie flat.

He emerged from the bathroom, his face red and his fists clenched, to find everyone waiting to see what his reaction was. "Thanks a lot, Zack," he muttered, causing Zack and Riku to burst into yet _more_ hysterics. Kairi giggled uncontrollably, her head down on the table, and Roxas and Cloud politely tried to mask their laughter. Sora slumped down into his seat and downed the rest of his beer. He was going to need to drink a lot now to enjoy the night, now that he had been branded a man lover.

Eventually, Riku (who didn't seem at all drunk, though he had had at least ten beers) stood up and pulled a visibly paralytic Kairi up with him, supporting her on one shoulder. "I think it's time the little one went to bed," he laughed, and everyone agreed heartily. "I'll see you in the studio tomorrow," he called as he paid his tab and dragged a mumbling, drooling Kairi out of the bar.

Zack left soon after that, having received a text from his friend Angeal asking him to come clubbing. It seemed that he was not the type to turn down such a request, because he was out of Jackson's within a minute of receiving the text, unperturbed by the fact he was going out into the tundra in nothing but a leather jacket, with no shirt underneath.

Cloud announced he was going to ride his motorbike home, but wouldn't allow Roxas to get a lift with him because Cloud was drink-driving. He tossed some money to Roxas and told him to get a cab with Sora, which was probably a good idea because the chocolate haired boy had drunk himself into a giggling stupor. "Good thing I live around the corner from you," Roxas muttered, paying their tabs and hauling Sora out into the blizzard, braving the fierce biting cold and hailing down a cab.

What proceeded next would change their lives, for better or for worse.

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_And that's chapter two everybody! I hope you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed writing it! You'll have to wait until next time to find out what happens!_

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	3. Orchard of Mines

_I'm sorry it took so long to update, but here is chapter three of Kiss And I Will Surrender! This chapter's song is Orchard of Mines by Globus. Check it out if you feel like it :)_

_**Warning**: Relatively severe violence in this chapter._

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, I just borrow the characters every once in a while.  
_

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Three

Orchard of Mines

Sora was rudely awakened from his blissful drunkenness by the fierce, biting wind which buffeted his face the minute they left Jackson's. The snow had gotten worse, swirling around him and Roxas like an icy tornado. He winced, squinting his eyes against the buffeting whiteness. He was suddenly shifted when Roxas hoisted him further up on his arm and started to drag him deeper into the blizzard.

Roxas was... holding him up? Sora's cobalt eyes flicked to the side, and in his alcoholic haze, a flash of gold appeared, swimming before him. He was being pulled, his feet mindlessly following Roxas's directive and making pathetic steps forward. The snow crunched beneath their feet, but the sound was lost in the howling wind. The sound deafening, and as the snow swirled around them, it felt as though they were encased in their own world, a loud, unpleasant world.

They reached the roadside, which had several tire tracks marking the snow that covered it, but not enough to mask the fact that at least two inches of snow had fallen whilst they were in Jackson's, if not more. Sora wondered vaguely why he didn't feel cold. He couldn't feel anything really; his fingers, which he noticed were fisted in part of Roxas's coat for support, felt numb, and the snow that cut past his face felt more sharp than cold.

He was jostled again as Roxas raised his arm, flagging down a lone taxi. The yellow vehicle pulled up to the kerb, the driver looking severely annoyed by the weather conditions, and Sora was bundled unceremoniously into the backseat, wherein Roxas followed and the door was slammed shut.

"Where to?" the driver asked, eyeing Sora in his mirror, who was struggling to right himself but failing miserably. Roxas leaned forward and placed the money Cloud had given him into the driver's hands, stating his address.

"You're kidding right?" the driver replied, looking at the singer in disbelief. "That's more than an hour away from here, and the snow is only getting worse. Sorry kid, I'll drop you on the outskirts, but no further."

"So we have to _walk_ the rest of the way?" Roxas growled, his usually placid eyes flaring up in exasperation and rage. Sora had finally pulled himself into a sitting position and was resting his forehead against the window, his eyes flicking to the side to regard the back of the driver's head.

"Sorry, but I don't want to risk being stuck out in the suburbs. Take it or leave it," the driver shrugged, moving to pass Roxas back the money he had been given.

"No, just drive us as far as you're willing to go," the blonde growled crossly, taking a ten back from the pile of notes in the man's hands and flopping back against the seat crossly. Sora, with effort, moved so that he was facing Roxas, and when he caught the boy's eye, he rolled his own, trying to show he was still relatively lucid. Roxas quirked one eyebrow, a ghost of a smirk on his lips at Sora's less than sober state. The boy still had the legend 'I Love Men' scrawled over his forehead, not even smudged, and his azure eyes were hazed over with alcohol. His chocolate spikes, while even messier than usual, gave him a young, adorable look of vulnerability, enhanced by his ever innocent looking face that was constantly graced with a genuine smile.

"Roock-saaaass..." the boy drawled, a giggle emerging from his lips, which were drawn into an infectious grin.

"Yeah?" the blonde replied, unable to resist smiling back. He couldn't deny that Sora, along with the relatively large amount of alcohol he had ingested, had made him relax a little. The boy, who while being the same age as him, seemed incredibly naive, but his constant happiness was contagious, and even Roxas, dubbed the 'Emo King' by his imaginative band mates, was unable to resist the cheerful charms of the art student.

"You were awwwesome on stage tonight," Sora slurred, hiccupping slightly, still grinning. "It was coooool..."

Roxas resisted a laugh which bubbled up from his chest. The boy was unbelievably drunk, and he was a _happy_ drunk, which made it even funnier. The writing on his face and the bout of narcolepsy he had suffered earlier just added to the air of hilarity which accompanied the boy. Sora saw the uncontrollable smirk on the singer's lips, and narrowed his hazy eyes.

"You're... you're _laughing_ at me..."

Roxas had to turn his head away and politely cough out a laugh. Sora did not realise how unbelievably cute he was, like a puppy, a pout formed on his tanned face as he slumped against the door of the taxi. He had yanked his scarf off but was still bundled up in his coat, his face poking out over the top of his collar like a shy animal.

Sora continued his pouting and drunken drawling for the duration of the journey, leaving Roxas in a state of suppressed hysterics, which eventually burst out and he started crying with laughter, doubled over in his seat and laughing genuine shouts of laughter. Sora smiled through his lack of sobriety; Roxas looked better when he was smiling and laughing. His cerulean eyes lit up like an outdoor swimming pool, and a pinkish tinge lit his pale features, making him even more indescribably beautiful... Sora stopped his thoughts right there; he refused to let alcohol convince him into thinking another _guy_ was beautiful, attractive or gorgeous in any state or form.

All too soon, the taxi pulled up to the curb, on the edge of town, and the driver twisted in his seat, eyeing his passengers with sympathy. "This is as far as I'll take you boys. The address you gave me is about a twenty minute walk from here. Be careful okay?" A blast of wind suddenly swirled into the car, causing the driver and Roxas to flinch. Sora had pulled the handle on his door and had promptly fallen out, landing on the floor with a shout.

Roxas rolled his eyes and thanked the driver, clambering out over Sora and stumbling into the middle of the road, falling on his side. His hysterics resumed, and Sora's laughter joined his, from his position hanging half out of the taxi. "You fell oooooveeer, Roooock-saaas!"

Roxas snorted again, and grabbed Sora by the collar, pulling his legs out of the taxi. Amazingly, Sora was lucid enough to kick the door shut, and the taxi drove off, leaving them laughing in the middle of the road. Roxas pulled himself into a kneeling position and leaned over Sora, sniggering.

"You look ridiculous," he giggled at his new friend, who had closed his eyes and had a loose, toothy grin gracing his features. He looked like he should be sunbathing in Costa del Sol, not lying in the middle of the road with the snow buffeting his face.

Sora chuckled and opened his cobalt eyes, locking them with Roxas's cerulean ones. "I _feel _ridiculous," he replied, gazing up at the golden boy hovering above him. Those eyes were so much more alight than they had been earlier; it was like gazing at a vivid sky, the warm golden hair like the sun, bathing him in light. Not for the first time that evening, he felt his breath hitch in his throat as the utter exquisiteness of the boy above him was displayed. And then, the angel was moving, pushing himself to his feet.

"Come on, we've still got some walking to do, and I'm pretty sure we'll get run over if we stay here any longer." He grabbed Sora by the arms and pulled, forcing the art student to his wobbly feet. Luckily, Sora had regained enough control to walk by himself, which was good, because Roxas was having trouble moving his own body without dragging someone else for twenty minutes.

They were out in the suburbs of Midgar now. The tall buildings shrank away to reveal pleasant apartment blocks and terraced houses, but the smaller edifices provided little shelter from the blustering gale which was now swirling snowflakes around them and trying to make them lose their balance. The cold was harsh and biting, and their legs quickly grew weary as they had to trudge through deep snow. The white stuff was soaking the bottoms of their jeans, the cold seeping into their skin.

They didn't speak as they trudged, too cold and too drunk to produce coherent thoughts. Sora wished he had brought a hat, as his hair was flipping around in the strong wind, occasionally flicking him harshly on the cheeks or forehead.

They were about ten minutes or so from their destination when the wind suddenly became even stronger; in fact, both boys were blown backwards, and the snow became so dense and thick that they couldn't even determine the direction they had been headed in. Roxas pulled close to Sora, afraid to lose him in the blizzard, and shouted in his ear, "Let's find some shelter for now!"

Sora nodded and they stumbled to the side of the road, where they could vaguely make out an alleyway between two apartment blocks, which some large dumpsters. They entered the small space to find that the enclosed space and the dumpsters provided quite impressive shelter from the weather; the wind dropped considerably and thus the snow was not so vicious. They huddled between two of the dumpsters, and in the same way that Sora and Kairi had done earlier, they buttoned their coats together to share their body heat. They slid down the wall into a sitting position, curled into balls and conversing shakily in the cold.

"S-some night, eh?" Roxas murmured, rubbing his hands together – he had forgotten to bring gloves. Sora noticed this and wrapped his gloves around the blonde's, instantly swamping them in warmth.

"Y-yeah," Sora replied, teeth chattering as he forced out a frozen smile. They chatted for a few minutes, their faces red and their lips slowly turning blue, when suddenly another bout of narcolepsy over took Sora. His brilliant blue eyes fluttered closed and he fell forward, his head resting on Roxas's shoulder. Roxas, noticing that this made him slightly warmer, decided to let him sleep there, thinking it would be best for Sora to rest until it was safe to walk the rest of the way home. The boy's auburn spikes tickled Roxas's neck as he snored lightly, his face completely smooth and expressionless.

Deciding to follow the narcoleptic's directive, Roxas rested his cheek on the top of Sora's head, feeling more warmth surge between the two of them, and closed his eyes, pressing as close to the boy as possible, hoping that Sora wouldn't mind his attempts to stay warm. Feeling considerably less cold, he let himself slip into a relatively peaceful, light sleep.

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Sora was awoken by a vicious kick to his side, which instantly winded him and slammed him into the wall he was leaning against. His eyes snapped open abruptly, instantly awake, and he turned his head up, as Roxas also awoke. There were several shapes looming over them, boys much bigger than the two of them, their faces shadowed.

"Looks like we got a couple of faggots here!" a brash, loud voice guffawed, and another kick was directed at Roxas, who wheezed as a foot connected with his chest, catching Sora too, as they were still buttoned together. Sora immediately started frantically pulling the buttons apart, whilst the men leering at them laughed darkly.

"Hey _fags_, did we disturb your _faggy_ cuddling?" another voice snarled as they broke apart from each other and scrambled to their feet.

"Seifer," Roxas growled, his position defensive. Sora raised his fists. He wasn't an amazing fighter but he knew how to throw a punch, and he wasn't going to tolerate being kicked.

A tall, dirty blonde boy emerged from the group, his cool eyes smirking at them. When he laid his eyes on Roxas, however, his smile faltered. Before either of the boys knew what was happening, Roxas had been slammed into the wall, a large hand around his throat and another punching his gut repeatedly.

"Leave him alone!" Sora yelled, aiming a punch at the man's head, but someone kicked his legs out from underneath him and he sprawled on the floor. Kicks started raining down on him and he groaned in pain, curling up into a ball as he was repeatedly booted in his stomach, his arms, his legs, his face.

Roxas was slumped against the wall, severely winded and coughing up blood. "You assholes..." he choked furiously, and his face was met with a flying fist. His head snapped painfully to the side, and the skin raged with fire as a bruise immediately blossomed on his pale, immaculate skin.

"Hey _Roxy_," Seifer hissed, his face pressed up close to the blonde's, his eyes burning with hatred. "Long time no see. Been screwing anyone lately?!"

"Shut the _fuck_ up!" Roxas snarled, spitting out blood and eyeing Seifer viciously, his hands trying to loosen the grip around his neck. Sora was still being kicked on the floor, his moans of pain reduced to pathetic whimpers as bruises started flowering all over his body. His tanned face was cut in several places and his arms were over his head, protecting it from heavy blows.

"What's... he... talking... about?" Sora gasped between kicks, which grew in intensity with each word he uttered.

"Little _Roxy_ here gotta few secrets, I see," Seifer leered at the angry golden haired boy. "Haven't told your _faggot_ boyfriend what a fucking OOF!" His sentence was abruptly cut off when Roxas drove his knee into his groin with all his might, his face furious.

"BACK OFF!" he roared, throwing another kick at one of the people kicking Sora, his foot connecting solidly with the man's stomach. He followed this with a punch to the next man's face, and finally head butted the remaining man, effectively freeing Sora from his prison of beatings. The men recovered quickly, however.

"How _dare _you?!" Seifer yelled, grabbing Roxas's arm and twisting it behind his back, putting unbearable pressure on the blonde's wrist. "You piece of shit!" he snarled, forcing a pained scream out of Roxas when his wrist gave a sickening crack.

Sora was down for the count, barely breathing. He lay face down, a small pool of blood slowly colouring the snow around his head in a nauseating crimson. This didn't stop one of the men stamping on Sora's outstretched hand though, breaking three of his fingers instantly. Roxas yelled again as a strained sob rose from Sora's body, the boy incapable of anything else.

Suddenly, a wailing noise began to make itself known. Sirens. "Shit!" the boys yelled. Roxas was thrown roughly against the wall as they immediately started running, fleeing the scene. Roxas slid down to the ground, his face black with bruises and his wrist twisted at a mutated, stomach-churning angle. He slumped on the cold floor, waiting for the sirens to arrive at the alleyway, for help to arrive.

But the sirens were fading. Getting quieter and quieter. Roxas realised with horror that they weren't going to be helped as the sound disappeared into the blizzard. Sora whimpered quietly.

"Sora?" Roxas called hoarsely, reaching out with his good arm to shake the collapsed boy. To his relief, Sora stirred. He watched with reprieve and shame as the student shakily raised his head to look up at him, his cobalt eyes amazingly still clear and fully conscious, despite the pain that must be coursing though his body. That ever-present grin attempted to show itself. Sora really looked terrible; his face was incredibly bruised and there were numerous cuts oozing blood adorning his usually adorable features. His lip was split and two black eyes were forming. He was lucky he hadn't broken his nose or lost any teeth.

"Are they gone?" he croaked, wincing as he somehow, amazingly found the strength to push himself into a sitting position next to Roxas, who was cradling his broken wrist against his chest, blood seeping from his hairline into his eyes. Roxas winced, trying not to show he was in pain.

"Y-yeah. They're gone..."

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_Wow, that is the longest chapter I have written yet for this story! I hope that you liked it, I had fun writing the drunken parts lol... of course, I didn't enjoy putting our favourite boys through pain but it's got to be done, I'm afraid, if I want this plot to work :( Anyways, I would really appreciate it if you reviewed and let me know what you thought ^^_


	4. Hit the Floor

_Whoo, chapter four!! I'm not too sure about my writing in this chapter, I suck at writing dialogue so I'm sorry if you don't like it T.T I have decided to turn this into an FFVII crossover, I can't bear to keep characters like Reno and Rude out of the plot and they just work so well with my ideas!! I hope you guys don't mind! Thanks for all the reviews I got for the last chapter, I got ten!! Hooray!  
The song for this chapter is Hit the Floor by Bullet for my Valentine :)  
Hope you enjoy, and please feed my review addiction XD_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy VII.  
_

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Four

Hit the Floor

Roxas's heart played an unsteady beat which resounded around his throbbing head; his cold, swollen lips felt as though they were vaguely pulsing in synchronisation with the drum recitation in his mind, and his breath caught occasionally in his throat as his lungs struggled with the simple function of expanding and contracting. His stomach seemed to be caving in on itself, a painful aftermath of the severe winding he had received, and fire sung through the nerves on his face where Seifer had punched him. But worse than all that was the nauseating throb of his wrist, and the sickening angle it had adopted. Every time his crystal blue eyes flicked down to the limp appendage in his lap, he was abruptly forced to look away again as he dry heaved.

And he was cold. The snow was slowly soaking through his black skinny jeans, the ice seemingly surging into his bloodstream and freezing his organs from the inside. His teeth presented a constant background noise of clicking and chattering which he was unable to cease despite his best efforts, and he was fairly sure he could feel the cold sweat on his face freezing into a mask of ice, making his skin stiff and raw.

But one quick glance to the side confirmed that Sora was feeling a whole lot worse than Roxas was. The permanent marker on his forehead was all but vanquished by the blood oozing from his hairline and into his cobalt eyes. His once smooth and tanned visage was now a Picasso painting of angry red cuts and blossoming indigo bruises. The skin around his tired eyes was swollen and darkening, and the split in his lip, which was trying to knit a protective cover of skin cells over itself, kept reopening every time he coughed. Much to Roxas's alarm, these coughing fits also included a certain degree of blood being dredged up from Sora's lungs. The art student held his broken fingers close to his chest, trying to avoid anything hitting them, and his limbs trembled with the effort of holding him upright against the wall. Roxas was sure that if he could see Sora's arms, legs, stomach, chest and back, there would be more purple and black marks and blotches marring the skin there, and possibly more cuts, as Roxas was sure at least one of the guys kicking Sora had been wearing steel-capped boots.

For a few minutes, Roxas just sat there and listened to the uneven, ragged breaths of his companion. Sora seemed to be having extreme difficulty with this simple function, and the air that he expelled from his lungs often came out as an asthmatic wheeze. Roxas concentrated on his own laboured breathing, attempting to regulate it, finding that this diverted attention from the pain that was racking his body at that moment in time.

He had to do something, he knew. They couldn't just sit here forever, waiting out the storm which still whirled around them in a white, lethal dance. They needed help. Sora was on the verge of unconsciousness, and Roxas was pretty sure the boy had a concussion, from the way his pupils focused and unfocused and his head kept sagging forward. But he didn't even have the strength to reach into his pocket and get his phone out, let alone send out an S.O.S. to somebody. As the minutes ticked by, his lips quivering as his teeth chattered, Roxas let a few frustrated tears leak from the corners of his eyes, feeling them make tracks down his bruised face before freezing in place. He felt utterly useless, and his mind was overcome with the guilt of knowing that it was _his_ fault that he and Sora were in this situation. A defeated growl slipped through his teeth, the first sound other than gasping that he had made since affirming to Sora that they were alone.

The sound of annoyance attracted his friend's attention. Half lidded, bruised eyes turned in their sockets to point roughly in the direction the growl had come from and to Roxas's amazement, a weak smile pushed the corners of Sora's mouth up. The boy looked tired; no, scratch that, he was exhausted, but like the optimistic puppy he had always been, he was dragging up his last reserves of energy to move the muscles in his face into a smile. The student's buoyancy was astounding.

"H-hey..." The sound that came from Sora's voice box was several octaves lower than usual, like he had a bad cold. "Y-you okay?"

It was a dumb question. Neither of them was 'okay' by any means. But latching onto the positive sentiment of the question, Roxas replied with an affirming "Y-yeah..." He winced regretfully as he attempted to nod as well, feeling the cartilage in his neck creaking.

They were silent then for another short interlude, having used up a lot of energy on the simple task of conversation. Again, the notion entered Roxas's brain that they needed help, and when Sora's narcolepsy threatened to raise its head in the face of his concussion, Roxas finally felt the strength to act on this idea. He reached across with his good right hand, grimacing at the pain this caused to his winded chest, and shook Sora roughly, when he saw the boy's cobalt eyes slide closed and stay that way.

"Hey! W-wake up!" he choked out, feeling the air he inhaled in order to speak freezing the very cells of his lungs. Luckily, Sora's eyes snapped open immediately, and he groaned as the realisation that he had fallen asleep again hit him. The chocolate haired boy tilted his head back to rest against the wall, his undamaged hand wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead, smearing dirt, ink and blood in tracks across his face.

Meanwhile, Roxas had reached into his coat pocket with fumbling fingers, again wincing at the constricting pain this caused to his chest and sides. It was very possible he had broken a rib or two; Seifer had landed several full power punches to his abdomen and chest, and his whole torso throbbed from the abuse. Ignoring the pain for the moment as best he could, he withdrew a small black phone from his coat, holding it close to his face because the tears of pain swirling in his eyes, threatening to spill, were blurring his vision. He slid the phone open with his thumb, and began to scroll through his address book, wondering who would be best to call.

Not Cloud. Despite the guitarist being his brother, and probably the most appropriate person to call in such an emergency, Roxas was still very much aware of the fact that his brother had left Jackson's heavily under the influence of alcohol, and had already risked one trip on his motorcycle in his inebriated state. Roxas was not prepared to cause Cloud to take the same risk again, especially now that the weather had gotten worse.

The emergency services were also quickly rejected. As much as getting to a hospital seemed like a logical, welcoming idea to him, he knew that their injuries would lead to police questioning, and the last thing either of them needed was for Seifer to have a reason to prevent them from answering to police interrogation. And besides, Roxas was not the greatest fan of the police force himself.

His thumb hovered over the keypad as Riku's name was highlighted, but quickly continued scrolling through the names. Riku was certainly a good person to call in a crisis, and he was sober, but Roxas knew for a fact that Riku's apartment was on the other side of Midgar, in Edge, and was at least an hour away from their current position. And if he was staying with Kairi and Xion, he was even further away, their apartment being right on the far border of the city outskirts.

He reached the end of the contact list, and right at the bottom of the screen, Roxas saw his answer. Zack Fair. Of course, how had he not thought of that in the first place? Zack had gone clubbing with Angeal, not half an hour from where they were now. He had also been relatively sober when he left Jackson's, and Roxas knew that the raven haired bassist did not drink in the clubs, being there solely for the music. His mind made up, he paused and turned his head to look at Sora again, who was pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to keep himself awake.

"I'm going to call Zack..." he rasped, and Sora inclined his head briefly, his eyes closed wearily but moving beneath their bruised lids, showing he was still awake. With that confirmation, Roxas pressed the green call button and then found the 'Loudspeaker' option, not having the energy to lift the phone to his ear, which felt like one of it piercings had been ripped out when Seifer's fist had connected.

To his relief, it didn't go to voicemail, and the sound of the ringing tone filled the echoing alleyway, which was quieter as the wind had died down ever so slightly. He was starting to get worried when the tone had sounded eight times, but then, to his incredible relief, Zack answered on the ninth ring.

"Heeeey Roxy!"

Despite their situation, both boys felt smiles tugging at their lips. The incredible enthusiasm of the older man was too infectiously optimistic to avoid, and they felt some warmth surge into their cold-gripped stomachs as the relief that Zack had answered washed over them.

And now Roxas was faced with the task of holding a lucid conversation with the man, a very daunting task considering the black dots that were starting to appear in his vision.

"Z-Zack," he croaked, wincing as he did so. Sora's head rolled to the side, showing that he was listening.

"Hey, you don't sound that good kid! Been drinking too much?" Zack joked, his voice light and bouncy. In the background, the boys could hear a deep male voice asking who Zack was talking to, and then Zack's voice replied distantly, indicating he had taken his mouth away from the mouth piece to talk to his companion.

"Very... funny..." Roxas muttered, giving one chesty cough that flecked blood on his hand. "Z-Zack... we need your help..."

"Cloud not given you enough money for a cab? Sorry man, but I'm strapped for cash myself, this one club charged us like fifteen dollars to get in, and of course even a coke here is like five dollars and I wanted a kebab earlier too and..." Zack was on the verge of entering one of his famous ramblings. Roxas cut him off before this could happen.

"It's not that Zack."

"Well then what's the problem?" Zack asked, sounding slightly exasperated, as though Roxas was being vague on purpose, when in actual fact Zack hadn't given him a chance to speak properly yet.

"S-Seifer..."

It was the right word to say. The boys heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone, and there were a few seconds of silence before Zack replied. "Where are you?! Are you alright?! What has he done?!" The urgent tone in his voice was unmasked and evident. Sora noted this, realising that Seifer was not just a bad acquaintance of Roxas's.

"Fairlawn Boulevard, I think," Roxas replied, his response a little stronger now that he knew help was on its way. "Between two apartment blocks... We can't move..."

"I'm on my way, give me fifteen minutes," Zack's voice said in a clipped fashion, his bodyguard profession emerging into his personality, and Roxas heard the rumble of an engine as Zack gunned his motorbike into roaring life. The singer pressed the 'End Call' button and his arm dropped to his side instantly, his energy drained.

Sora frowned, trying to see past the fringe of lashes which were obscuring his vision, due to the fact that he was so tired he couldn't keep his eyelids any further open than halfway. From what he could see, Roxas was hurt, but not as badly as him. He silently thanked whatever entity might be listening, that Roxas didn't have to suffer as much as he did. But in the same thought, he cursed whatever evil there might be for forcing Roxas to endure any pain at all. Someone as perfect as him shouldn't have to endure punishment like that. He didn't deserve it.

"R-Roxas," he mumbled sleepily, blinking his eyes with dramatic movements to try to keep himself awake. "About w-what Seifer said...?"

Roxas's head snapped to the side, crystalline burning eyes locking with Sora's own. "I'm sorry I got you involved," the blonde muttered, his expression angry, at himself more than the thug who had caused so much damage to the two boys. "Seifer has... a vendetta against me."

"Why?!" Sora couldn't believe that Roxas was deserving of any such treatment, he was too angelic and faultless for that. But to his disbelief and dismay, Roxas averted his gaze guiltily.

"I... hurt him once... really badly... He used to trust me, and I abused that trust. I deserved every punch he threw at me." He clenched his right fist, fighting tears. "But _you_ didn't deserve what you got. I feel awful, if I hadn't been here then you wouldn't-"

But Sora cut him off. "If you hadn't been here, I'd still be on the ground getting kicked to death! You got them to back off Roxas! You probably saved my freaking life!"

Roxas scowled. "It doesn't change the fact that this is entirely my fault," he muttered, glaring at his knees.

Sora shivered violently. His rapid blood loss was causing him to lose body heat, and fast. "Man, didn't imagine my Friday night ending up like this..." he murmured, resting his head against the wall again. He ran his tongue over his lower lip, wincing as his saliva stung the split skin. Beside him, Roxas snorted and then winced, clutching his chest.

"Bet we look a right sight," Roxas replied, a small smile flitting across his face momentarily. He noticed Sora give another vicious shudder. "You're cold," he stated matter-of-factly.

Sora shook his head pathetically. "N-no I'm not," he stuttered, pouting and looking away. Roxas rolled his eyes and scooter closer to the boy, pressing his side up against Sora's juddering body.

"Lean on me, you can barely stay upright," Roxas muttered, his cheeks gaining a faint rosy hue as he put an arm around Sora's shaking shoulders and pulled him closer.

Sora protested weakly. "I can sit up just fine..."

"No you can't. I'm not going anywhere, so deal with it." Sora looked up into Roxas's face. Cerulean pools of crystal regarded him fiercely, adamantly, framed with a track of blood running down the side of Roxas's face. Even with a huge, blackening bruise and blood on his features, Roxas was gorgeous. Sora couldn't deny it any longer; Roxas was an attractive young man. What he didn't understand was, why was he slowly becoming infatuated with the boy? Was respect and admiration really this extreme?

He sighed and tentatively rested his head on Roxas's shoulder, feeling warm starting to return to his body as the less injured blonde pulled him close. After a few minutes of being tightly held to the singer's side, Sora's shivering subsided and his breathing evened out.

"Thanks Roxas," he murmured, his breath ghosting over Roxas's neck. The blonde felt his cheeks grow warm again, glad Sora couldn't see his face. The art student really was adorable... wait, what? This was a _guy_, for godssake! He had never even entertained the notion of a man being cute, and sweet and attractive and... WHAT?! Where the hell were these thoughts coming from?!

_Seifer must have hit me harder than I thought..._ Roxas thought dimly, giving Sora a shake when he started to snore lightly.

"Nnngh, why did you wake me up?" Sora whined, and Roxas immediately pushed the image of Sora pouting like a little puppy out of his mind.

"You have a concussion. It's dangerous for you to sleep," Roxas replied stiffly.

"Why?" the chocolate haired boy replied haughtily, clearly miffed.

"I don't know why!! Everyone says its bad though, so don't fall asleep!"

"Haha, yes, tell the narcoleptic not to fall asleep."

"... Shut up."

Sora chuckled, again breathing on Roxas's neck. The blonde shifted uneasily, wondering if he should move Sora. But the student wasn't shivering anymore, and that was what Roxas had been trying to achieve... now he just had to keep the boy awake until Zack arrived. Maybe he should talk to keep Sora awake? Some blood dripped from his eyebrow into his eye then and he winced, unable to rub his eye because his good arm was wrapped around Sora.

"Damn, guess I won't be able to work for a couple of weeks," he growled angrily; he reached around Sora's head, keeping the boy close to him, and wiped the red liquid out his eye. He thought he felt Sora intake a breath when his face was pressed a little closer to Roxas's neck, but decided he must have imagined it.

"Why? Where do you work?" The question was sleepy, but at least Sora was still conscious.

"Org. 13 Studios. I'm a model there." Roxas wished he had thought of something else to talk with Sora about, he felt like he was trying to show off now.

"Whoooaaa...." Sora mumbled, evidently still a little tipsy. "Figures though, you are insanely good looking." The words had tumbled off Sora's tongue before he could stop himself, and he held his breath before his could say anything else, burying his head into the crook of Roxas's neck to avoid the blonde seeing his blush.

Roxas laughed coolly though. "Trust me; it's the worse business to get into. You can't ever have a bad hair day, and heaven forbid if you get a pimple, that's a career-ender," he said dryly, causing Sora to giggle.

"I bet it pays well though," he replied, sighing wistfully. Modelling. It fit Roxas perfectly. Of course he was a model, no other profession would do. Apart from his band landing a record deal or something.

"It does, but the money isn't regular. Zack and Cloud are living it up, well paid _and_ regular hours..." The blonde seemed to be getting a little more strength, as he was having less difficulty talking now.

"Where do they work?"

"ShinRa Electric. They're bodyguards there. And Riku is quite well off too, he's the PA of some professor..."

"Wow, so is the band just a hobby?" Sora asked, sitting up a little more and pulling his head back so he could look at Roxas as he talked.

"Pretty much, but I'd love to get spotted," Roxas replied, a small smile on his lips. "I just... love singing... so much..."

Sora knew what he meant. Not only could he empathise, feeling exactly the same way when he painted, but when he had seen Roxas singing earlier that day, the elation and happiness had been as plain as day on the blonde's face. He lapsed into silence as he remembered that gig which seemed like days ago rather than hours, the way Roxas had thrown his entire soul into the music.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask... what Reizones mean? Your band's name?" Sora felt a lot more awake now as he posed this question, the conversation was too interesting to fall asleep on, after all, he was finding out precious information about Roxas.

"Oh, that's a short version of the name," Roxas replied, coughing briefly to the side. "We're actually called Reino de Corazones, but thought that was too long to say on stage."

"What does that mean?"

"Kingdom of Hearts."

"Wow... that's a pretty epic name..." Sora said, impressed. He was beginning to like Roxas's band more and more, the genre pretty much forgotten. He was about to ask if they had been together for long when a load roaring assaulted his ears, threatening to burst his eardrums, and through the tundra he could see on the street, a headlight gleamed. The engine of the vehicle cut, but the light remained on, and then they heard a deep, male voice.

"Roxas?! Sora?!" It was Zack.

Relief washed over them like a tidal wave as they untangled themselves, Roxas shouting "Over here!! We're here Zack!!"

They heard the crunching of snow under black boots, and then Zack appeared in the alleyway, dressed only in his leather jacket and black pants. Apparently, the cold didn't bother him at all, his toned chest on show for all to see. He caught sight of the two bloody pulps that were Roxas and Sora, Roxas trying to stand up, and ran over to them quickly.

"Oh my god, what did that bastard _do_ to you?!" he growled, grabbing Roxas under his armpits and lifting him to his feet like he was a feather. He bent down to inspect the damage to Roxas's face, touching the large bruise gently and then pushing his bangs back to look at the cut in his hairline. Roxas wheezed and clutched his chest as he tried to stand upright. Yep, something was definitely broken there.

"I think I broke a rib," he winced, but pushed Zack away. "But Sora needs more help than me." He pointed down to the ground, where Sora wasn't even attempting to move, knowing it would be futile. Zack gasped again, his glowing eyes flaring with anger.

"That bastard!" he growled, abruptly bending down to Sora's level. He eyed the many cuts and bruises adorning Sora's body, and noted the way the boy coughed up blood with concern. "He doesn't look good at all..." With that, he hooked one arm under Sora's knees and the other over his back and hoisted him up. Sora was too tired to protest, resting his head against Zack's chest in defeat.

Roxas leaned against the wall, trying to regulate his breathing and clutching his chest. "So what now?"

Zack gave him a look which said, quite plainly, _Are you stupid?_ "We go to Aerith's, of course," he replied, hoisting Sora up a little further into his arms, He turned around and started to march out of the alleyway, Roxas staggering after him.

"Of course, how could I not have thought of that?" Roxas muttered. He sounded sarcastic, but in truth he was kicking himself. Aerith should have been the first person he called! She lived about two blocks from here and was a nurse for god's sake! Her name was even the first in his contacts list on his phone! He kicked himself mentally for being such an idiot.

The wind had died almost completely when they emerged from the alleyway, Roxas found. The snow was still falling, thick and heavy, but instead of swirling around them, it now descended straight down towards the ground, the snowflakes soft against his sore skin. Zack's huge black motorbike rested on it's stand on the sidewalk, headlight still ablaze. Roxas watched as Zack gently placed Sora on the seat and guided him to straddle the bike, pressed up against the fuel tank. Zack then got on behind him and reached his arms around the smaller boy to grab the handle bars. His arms formed a cocoon around Sora, preventing him from falling to either side.

"Climb on Roxy," Zack said as he booted the kick-start and the bike roared to life again, the engine deafening and loud despite the thick snow that swallowed up most sounds like foam. Roxas swung his leg over the bike and settled behind Zack, wrapping his good arm around the older boy's waist and holding his wrist close to his chest. He gripped the bike with his knees, unafraid. He had ridden with Cloud enough times to know how to pillion ride.

Zack checked that Sora was still awake (he was, and he was terrified by his position), before twisting the throttle hard. The wheels spun beneath them, trying to find traction, and then suddenly the tires gripped the floor and they shot forward, both of the younger males gasping as they were lurched backwards. Zack chuckled and changed gear, pushing the bike forward, his glowing eyes seemingly able to see past the white sheets of snow that surrounded them on all sides.

"Zack, slow down!" Roxas yelled, clutching Zack's jacket tightly. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was terrified by the fact that he couldn't see the road at all, and the fact that Zack had already kicked up into fourth gear and was travelling at least sixty miles an hour wasn't helping in the slightest.

"You worry too much Roxy!" Zack shouted back, taking a corner quickly, causing Sora to whimper and shut his eyes, and Roxas to growl and tug insistently on Zack's coat.

"You're going to scare the shit out of Sora!" he called over the roar of the engine. The snow flew past his face and some flakes got caught in his hair, so he ducked his head down to bury it into Zack's back.

"We're nearly there anyways," Zack replied, shrugging, and sure enough, he started working backwards through the gears, slowing the bike down gradually, before coming to a stop outside a block of apartments.

"Let's get sleepy head inside, you go and ring the buzzer," Zack said as he killed the engine. "She probably heard us arrive anyway."

Sure enough, someone called Zack's name. They all looked up to see a slight, pretty girl with glossy brown hair leaning over a balcony, wrapped in a dressing gown. She looked like she had just woken up. "What are you doing here?" she called.

"Just get us inside Aerith!" Zack replied, lifting Sora off the bike and holding him up for Aerith to see. She gasped and then disappeared inside. Shortly after, the door clicked and Roxas pulled it open. Aerith was waiting at the top of the first flight of stairs, her green eyes full of concern.

"Roxas, are you alright??" she gasped, guiding them into her apartment. She pushed Roxas into a chair in her small but warm and homely living room, whilst Zack laid Sora down on the couch.

"It was Seifer," the raven haired man growled. "That bastard is going to _pay_."

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_Well, I ended up writing more than usual ^.^ Again, please feed my review addiction, I need my fix :D_


	5. Six Feet Under The Stars

_Hi there loyal readers! I'm back with the next installment of KAIWS! I don't quite know how, as I was suffering from severe writer's block for this chapter, but I somehow managed to write over 6,000 words for this chapter, which is double what I usually write. Consider it a treat for all the lovely reviews last week, of which I think there were... eleven? Yay! ^^_

_The song for this chapter is 'Six Feet Under The Stars', by All Time Low. You'll see why :)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy -cries-  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Five

Six Feet under the Stars

He felt heavy. That was the first thought that occurred to Sora when he next awoke. He was... lying down? It felt like it. There was something soft and comfortable running the length of the underside of his body, something that he was slightly sunken into. A bed? It was possible. He was warm too, a welcome change to the ice and snow he had been stuck in for god knew how long. His skin tingled, as warmth surged through his bloodstream, bringing his body back to a reasonable temperature.

Then the pain hit him, and he immediately forgot about being warm. His very nerves ached and throbbed, his head was pounding like a jackhammer, and his fingers were stiff and twinged sharply if he tried to move them. His face felt dry and rigid, as though he had dried mud all over it. Even his gums were pulsing with dull pain.

It occurred to him after a few minutes that voices were drifting around him, belonging to, as far as he could tell, three different people. One was female, the other two were male... and yes, one of the males was definitely Roxas. Sora relaxed immediately. Roxas was here. And by the sounds of it, he was irritated.

"A broken wrist is not going to stop me from coming to band practice, Zack!"

Ah, so Zack was the other voice. Sora vaguely remembered being put on Zack's motorcycle before, but after that it was just a blur of pain, cold and then the darkness of sleep. He didn't know where he was, or who the other person was that Zack and Roxas were talking to, though he knew it was a girl. It wasn't Kairi, he could tell that much.

"Roxas," this girl now said, sighing deeply as she did so, "You know that your injuries go far beyond that. How are you supposed to sing when you've got three broken ribs?"

_Three?_ Had Seifer hit Roxas _that_ hard? Sora could feel his blood starting to boil in a way that hadn't been possible when he was freezing and concussed in the alleyway. How _dare_ Seifer lay a single finger on Roxas! Sora could have cared less what happened to himself, but the fact that Roxas was hurt made him so angry he wanted to punch something, even with a broken hand.

"I'll manage," Roxas replied to the girl curtly, and someone (Sora thought it was Zack) tutted loudly.

Sora went to giggle at Roxas's stubbornness, but it came out as more of a groan when his stomach suddenly cramped up, and shooting pain threw stars before his closed eyes. All arguments immediately ceased, and then he felt a warm hand on his forehead, pushing hair out his eyes.

"Sora?"

It was the girl's voice. The chocolate haired boy threw all his effort into opening his eyes, the lids creaking open like rusty hinges on a forgotten door, wincing as light (albeit a soothing, dim orange light) entered his eyes. The world was out of focus. There were colourful blobs hovering above him, the closest being a pale pink with a mass of warm brown surrounding it, with two blobs of green in the middle... he blinked a few times, trying to bring the world into focus, and then the blobs suddenly transformed into the face of a very pretty girl. She looked to be about Zack's age, with long curled tendrils of soft looking hair framing her delicate features; her large jade eyes were wide and concerned. It was her hand that was pushing his hair from his face; she had an incredibly calming aura. It was like she was Zen personified. Sora relaxed considerably, and the cramps in his stomach subsided somewhat.

"How are you feeling?" That was Roxas. Sora flicked his eyes away from the girl, to see the blonde angelic face with the crystal cerulean eyes hovering over him, his brow contorted in a worrying frown. The whole of the side of his face was swollen, and an angry, dark purple bruise marred the usually flawless skin. He had a band aid parallel to his hairline. His fringe was stained red with his blood, but his hair was still defiantly stuck up in its unique style. He had another band aid over his ear, where one of his earrings should be.

"Don't worry about me, what about _you_?" Sora rasped, his throat dry. He winced, clenching his eyes shut. It felt like he had been eating glass. The girl noticed this, and asked Zack, who was currently out of Sora's line of vision, to fetch a glass of water.

Roxas grinned, bathing Sora in his own personal form of sunlight. "I'm good, just a few scrapes and bruises. I'm doing a lot better than you at any rate."

The girl had a wet cloth now, and was dabbing at the sore parts of Sora's face. The water stung, making Sora hiss every now and then.

"What... happened?"

"Well," Zack's voice sounded from behind his head, "I found you guys half dead in that alley, and brought you to Aerith." When this name was mentioned the girl smiled, indicating that Aerith was _her_ name. "You passed out immediately, and Roxas followed pretty soon after, so we patched you guys up while you were sleeping."

"Roxas didn't even wake up when we had to re-break his wrist so it wouldn't set awkwardly," Aerith said, flashing a smirk at Roxas who scowled. "Can you sit up, Sora?"

"I'll try..." It took a few minutes of shuffling and encouragement, but eventually Sora managed to prop himself in a satisfactory sitting position against the arm rest (it turned out he was on a couch after all), allowing him to survey his surroundings. He was in a small living room, which had an electric fire on the one wall, with a loveseat and an arm chair against the wall by the door, which opened onto a narrow corridor. There was a large mirror above the fire place, and a big lamp stood in the corner. This was casting the low orange glow he had first registered when he opened his eyes. Behind his couch was a window, currently covered by thick white curtains.

Roxas was perched on the edge of the sofa, next to his legs. He was still wearing what he had worn to the gig, his tight black t-shirt stretched over toned arms and a flat stomach. His pale arms were dotted with bruises, and his wrist was in a cast. His good arm was circled loosely around his own waist, holding his side gingerly.

There was movement behind him, and then Zack came into view, a grin on his face, still shirtless under his leather jacket, his black cargo pants slung low on his defined hips. He plopped himself down in the armchair, whilst Aerith helped Sora take a sip of water. The liquid felt like smooth honey as it slid down his throat, soothing the parched muscles. Aerith was sat on a stool next to where his head had been on the couch. She was wearing a fluffy pink nightgown and her hair was tied in a loose braid with a pink ribbon.

"I have some painkillers, if you want them," she offered, holding up a handful of different coloured tablets, which Sora graciously accepted. He took them one at a time, swallowing with difficulty, whilst Roxas and Zack continued with their previous argument.

"We've got a big gig on Monday, so I've _got_ to come to the studio today," Roxas almost pleaded, his eyes staring down Zack's relentlessly. Zack shrugged.

"So? You know that Riku, Cloud and I can all do vocals. And there is no way your big brother is going to let you anywhere near a microphone with three busted ribs. And, as I consider myself your adoptive older brother, neither will I."

"Fuck you, I'm twenty years old, I can do what I like!"

"_Language_, Roxas Strife," Aerith warned, checking the splints on Sora's broken fingers. Sora watched the banter with interest as he continued to sip on his water. The painkillers must have been strong – already the pain wasn't as unbearable as before, and he felt distinctly more lucid now that his brain wasn't clouded with pain.

"Sorry Aerith, anyway Zack there is no way I am missing out on a gig that is on my birthday! I refuse!" Roxas had clenched his good fist, his frown still in place.

Zack sighed and waved apathetically. "Do what you like, but don't expect Cloud to be as easy to persuade."

"Does Cloud know yet?" Sora asked, his voice less ragged now that he had drunk some water.

"Um, no... I was going to wait until we got to the studio this morning..." Roxas muttered, looking at the floor guiltily.

"That'll be a nice surprise for him," Aerith laughed, her voice like chiming bells. Sora caught Zack flashing a lopsided grin at Aerith that didn't quite hide a flash of adoration in his glowing eyes. The sable-haired man was slouched down low in the arm chair – he hadn't slept yet but he didn't look tired in the slightest. His knee was bouncing with pent up energy, and his fingers drummed impatiently on the arm rest.

"What time is it?" Sora asked, stretching slowly and testing the strength of his limbs. Although aching and ridiculously painful, they worked. He guessed he had mostly gotten a lot of bruises, but the cramps in his stomach said otherwise. He would probably need to get that checked out; he had been kicked several times there with steel boots.

"It's almost eight," Roxas replied as he checked his chunky analogue watch. "Studio time starts in an hour..."

This seemed to set things in motion. Zack swung his legs up slightly, and then used the momentum of bringing them back down to flick himself upright, somehow managing to make his broad, muscled body look graceful and elegant. He checked his hair in the mirror, as Roxas eased himself into a standing position, still holding his side gingerly. Aerith then helped Sora swing his legs over the edge of the sofa. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, bunched his thighs, and then pushed himself into a wobbly but successful upright pose. He walked around the living room a few times, wincing and limping, but mobile.

"Maybe you two should wash up before you go," Aerith commented mildly to Sora and Roxas. Sora looked at himself in the mirror. The remnants of permanent marker stuck to his forehead, along with a whole lot of dried blood and mud. Ah, so that was why his face felt stiff. He and Roxas were directed to the bathroom, and Sora noted as they left the living room that Zack pulled Aerith into his arms and hugged her tightly.

The bathroom was large considering it was an apartment one, with two sinks, a large spotlight surrounded mirror, and a walk in shower. The two boys took a sink each and proceeded to carefully clean their faces and arms. The water that flushed down the drains was pink as Roxas stuck his head under the tap and tried to get the blood out of his hair, wincing as the movement agitated his ribs. Sora was rubbing at the permanent marker with his soap-covered finger, trying to get rid of the word 'Men' which was still stubbornly persisting.

Roxas towel dried his hair and then ruffled it with his fingers. It immediately assumed its usual messy spikes, and after some minor tweaking, he moved onto washing his arms. Sora finished cleaning himself, finding that the dried blood had hidden a _lot_ of deep cuts and scrapes, and sat down on the closed toilet, waiting for Roxas to finish. He was content to admire the blonde as he primped, watching the way the muscles in his slight but toned back moved under the tight shirt, eyeing the slim waist and prominent hip bones. When Roxas stretched his arms up above his head to mess with his hair again, his t-shirt rode up, showing his pale lower back. Sora stared at the smooth skin with fascination; for some reason he felt incredibly compelled to touch it.

"Sora..." Roxas said suddenly, and Sora snapped his eyes away from watching (_checking out_) Roxas, to meet his gaze in the mirror. The singer looked incredibly sad. His eyes were dark and the corners of his mouth drooped in an almost comical fashion. He sighed, scratching the side of his face nervously. "I'm sorry about all this. I really am... it's my fault you got hurt so bad."

Sora rose to his feet and made his way to the counter where Roxas was leaning. The blonde turned to face him, looking distressed.

"Stop saying that," Sora murmured, his cobalt eyes averted to the side for a moment before sliding to meet the blonde's stare, a blush staining his tanned cheeks. "Even though this sucks, I don't regret meeting you at all. I want to be your friend, Roxas." Feeling incredibly stupid, he took Roxas's hand and held it tight, holding the boy's gaze adamantly.

"You're far too forgiving," Roxas muttered, but he didn't shrug out of the grip. For a moment, they just watched each other. Roxas looked slightly bewildered, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes. His tongue slid out to moisten his dry lips, and Sora found himself watching this motion, fascinated. When had his heart started beating so fast?

"But I would love to have you as a friend, Sora," Roxas finally finished, averting his gaze.

Sora gave Roxas's hand a squeeze. "I'm glad," he said, smiling to show that his feelings were genuine. Their hands parted and they both cleared their throats loudly then, looking anywhere but each other as they marched back into the living room, where Zack and Aerith were still embracing. At 6'3", Zack towered over the small girl, his cheek resting on the top of her head whilst she pressed her face into his bare chest, her hands clutching the back of his jacket. They pulled away eventually, and Zack ducked down to kiss her cheek sweetly.

"I'll call you baby," he said, winking, making the usually calm and collected girl blush furiously. "Go back to bed and get some sleep, you need it."

She nodded, yawning as if to prove his point. "I'll see you later," she murmured sleepily, a tired smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

They left the apartment and emerged into a winter wonderland. The blizzard had finally ceased, and the wind had died, leaving a city caked in snow so thick it looked like icing. The air was crisp, but not as ridiculously cold as it had been the day before. Their breaths condensated before their eyes, and the snow crunched beneath their feet as they approached Zack's bike, which at some point he had moved from the sidewalk into the garage of the apartment block.

"So, do you fancy coming to watch us practice, Sora?" Roxas asked his new friend, smiling at the chocolate haired puppy as Zack checked his oil and started to warm up the bike. "Zack can drop you home if you don't want to though..." he added, looking a little down at the prospect.

Sora grinned. Although he was outrageously tired and sore, he had to admit that he was almost _craving_ to hear Roxas sing again. The band's one song last night just hadn't been enough. And it meant spending more time with Roxas, which made him immediately agree to going.

Roxas took the front on the bike this time, because although Sora had a broken hand, he had less difficulty holding on to Zack than Roxas did, whose casted wrist was proving to be a great irritation to him. Zack gunned the bike to life and picked up Roxas like he was doll, plonking him on the bike before swinging his leg over to sit astride the enormous black machine. He gave Roxas a quick, brotherly hug, ruffling his hair, before reaching around him to grab the handlebars. They truly looked like family. Roxas was leaning back into Zack's chest as though it were a high backed chair, his eyes closed, looking relaxed. Sora noted this and smiled, Zack catching it and returning it with a grin.

"Hop on Sora," he said, and Sora scrambled onto the back of the bike, resting his sneakered feet on the pillion pedals. "Grip my legs with your knees," Zack instructed as Sora wrapped his arms cautiously around Zack's waist, his hands brushing against Roxas's coat as he did so. Zack was _still_ not wearing a shirt under his open jacket, but his skin was impossibly warm, almost inhumanely hot. Sora clung to him, feeling the heat sooth his muscles slightly. Zack laughed before revving the throttle, causing Roxas to mutter irritably. He was dosing as he leant against the man, his face turned to side so that Sora could see his spiky hair over Zack's shoulder.

"Ready?" Zack called, and before he got an answer, he shifted into first and gunned the throttle, lurching them forwards into what felt like warp drive. The cold air was sharp against Sora's face as they turned onto the main strip that headed into central Midgar, Zack steadily working his way through the gears and humming to himself as he did so.

Kiosks and people walking their dogs became high street shops and early bird shoppers, as they entered into the central district. The buildings grew gradually taller, going from apartment blocks and garages to huge office buildings. They passed by ShinRa Electric, where Roxas had mentioned that both Zack and Cloud worked as bodyguards, and Zack waved at a slim red headed man in a black suit, stood in the doorway whilst smoking on a cigarette. The man waved back casually before stumping out the smoke and slouching through the revolving doors.

"Man, glad I don't work Saturdays," Zack said as he turned off the main road onto another block, which was mostly lined with bars and clubs. "Don't know what I'd do if work cut into my weekend, you know?"

Sora didn't reply verbally, just giving a noise of agreement. Roxas had slid down slightly in Zack's arms, and this had caused his t-shirt to catch on Sora's hands, pushing the garment up his back. The chocolate haired boy's hands were currently more or less pressed against the cool, smooth skin of the blonde singer, and he was finding it difficult to articulate coherent sentences.

_This is freaking ridiculous_, he thought to himself as Zack started to slow down. _Roxas is a GUY. What am I, a silly little fan girl or something?! Get a GRIP Sora, he's your friend!_

The motorbike came to a halt outside a bar called Seventh Heaven. Sora climbed off and Zack helped Roxas lift his leg over so he could jump onto the pavement, before the raven haired man drove the bike down a narrow alleyway between the bar and a nondescript building. Roxas immediately walked down the alleyway after Zack, motioning for Sora to follow.

A door had opened at the side of the bar, and a pale, tall girl with long black hair and a sizeable bust was stood in a white vest and a black mini skirt, watching as Zack killed the engine and locked his bike up. He climbed up the steps and swept the girl into a bone crushing hug.

"Hey Teefs!" he cried, swinging her round in a big circle.

"Zack!" she protested, giggling all the same.

"Tifa is Zack's sister," Roxas explained at Sora's confused expression. "She owns this bar, and the studio above it. It's kind of like our base, you know? Our regular hang out. Plus, we get all the studio time we want for free."

"Zack, put me down!" the girl whined, batting her fists ineffectively against the man's chest. "And do you EVER wear a shirt?"

"Hey! I wear a shirt and tie to work!" Zack laughed, placing her back on her feet as Sora and Roxas ascended the steps. Tifa's wine coloured eyes slid past Zack, and then widened when she saw the state of the two boys.

"R-Roxas?! What the hell?" she gasped, rushing forwards as if to hug him comfortingly, but stopping short when she realised that she might hurt him more by doing this. He leant against the wall by the side door, holding his ribs and wincing.

"I'm fine, just a little Seifer encounter," he muttered. "Cloud doesn't know yet, okay? This is Sora, by the way. He's Kairi's best friend... and my friend too," he added as an afterthought. Sora beamed at being publically acknowledged as Roxas's friend.

Tifa nodded, not asking questions, which relieved the two boys. Right now, the last thing they wanted to do was relive the events of last night. "Well, lets get inside and I'll get you some coffee, or whatever you like," she said, ushering her boisterous brother and the two older teens through the door.

They emerged into a dimly lit, wood panelled room, with lots of little booths lining the walls and low, round tables with stools dotted about the place. High stools lined the mahogany bar which had an artistic pyramid of wine glasses at one end, with a touch screen cash register glowing in the dark. It smelled of treated wood and cleaning products and the wooden flooring looked like it had just been mopped. Blinds were drawn over the narrow windows, letting some daylight in at the bottom. Tifa flicked on a light over the working area, revealing a sink and various tea and coffee amenities. She filled the kettle and set it on to boil, as the three boys settled themselves on the customer side, perching on the chairs.

"Kairi is upstairs with Riku, I think they're listening to one of your new recordings," Tifa informed them all, setting out three mugs on the counter. "Black coffee for you two?" she asked, looking at Roxas and Zack, who nodded eagerly at the prospect of strong caffeine. "And what about you, Sora?" she asked then, smiling warmly at the newcomer.

"Black coffee is good for me too," the art student replied. He had gotten his phone out of his pocket and was sending a text to his room mate, Tidus, to let him know he was alive and would be back later. A steaming mug was placed in front of him and he wrapped his hands around it quickly, enjoying the heat that spread through them.

"Cloud not here yet?" Roxas asked, immediately taking a gulp of the scalding drink, apparently unaffected by it. Zack was also drinking his coffee already, despite the fact that the water had only just boiled.

Tifa blushed for some reason and suddenly became very busy washing the coffee pot. "No, not yet..." she mumbled, sounding disappointed.

"Just ask him out already, Teefs, I don't even care anymore as long as you stop moping," Zack groaned, slamming his empty mug down on the counter.

"He doesn't like me that way!" she snapped back at her brother.

"Yes he does..." Roxas muttered under his breath. "He's just too stupid to say it." Tifa excused herself in a flustered fashion, mumbling something about checking the beer barrels.

"Seriously, we have _got_ to hook those two up or something, or my head is going to explode," Zack groaned, slamming his head on the bar. "I'm so fed up I'm past the protective brother phase now, and that's saying something!"

"Tell me about it," Roxas sighed, swirling the dregs of his coffee around the mug. Sora took a tentative sip of his own drink, and finding it a reasonable temperature, took a longer gulp, welcoming the warm liquid. "Those two have been making eyes at each other for roughly ten years now," Roxas continued, rolling his eyes as he jerked his head in the direction Tifa had gone in. "Me and Zack are completely at our wits end, because neither of them realises that the other likes them."

Sora laughed as he took another sip of coffee. "So what, your typical teenage love story?"

"Pretty much," Zack answered, but his voice was drowned out by the rumbling of a loud engine outside. "Ah, speak of the devil!" A few minutes passed, and then Cloud entered through the side door, looking as impeccable as ever, with a pair of black matrix shades resting on top of his blonde spikes. He was wearing a black zip-up sweater with a high collar, and black baggy jeans with steel capped boots. A wolf earring dangled from his left ear. As usual, he looked like a supermodel.

His bright sky blue eyes focused immediately on Roxas's bruised face, and his golden lashes swept down in a slow blinking movement, as his blonde eyebrows pulled together in a frown. He didn't gasp and overreact as everyone else had done so far, but instead walked calmly over to the bar and took Roxas's chin in his gloved hand, turning his face so he could see the massive bruise properly.

"Let me guess. Seifer."

"You're quick Blondie!" Zack said, thumping Cloud on the back, causing the man to frown more.

"I heard... a rumour," he muttered, seating himself next to Sora. "I heard that his gang had been up to no good last night, and I put two and two together." Tifa emerged in the doorway as he was saying this, squeaked, and disappeared again with a blush on her face. She returned a few seconds later, her shirt straightened and her bangs rearranged, her face holding a carefully neutral expression.

"Oh, hello Cloud!" she cooed, putting the kettle back on to boil. "Coffee?" He nodded, his eyes looking anywhere but her. Sora snickered under his breath, but then wished he hadn't as his stomach cramped up violently.

After another twenty minutes of bantering, Riku and Kairi came down the stairs behind the bar and announced that the studio was set up and ready. Following more gasps and questions from the two about the beat-up condition of Sora and Roxas, the seven people trudged up the steep steps to the third floor of the building, where a modern recording studio had been built. Riku had brought everybody's instruments over in his van, and they were all set up and plugged in, waiting to be tuned and played. There was a piano in the corner, and behind a glass screen was the recording equipment. Tifa seated herself behind this screen, but told Sora and Kairi they could sit in the room with the band if they liked.

"Sora, I'm so sorry about what happened last night," Kairi said as the boys starting fiddling with guitar pegs and asking Riku to play notes on the piano as they tuned. Sora noted that Roxas also had an electric guitar, black with a pure white fret board that had black chequered squares arranged on it randomly.

"It's not your fault," he replied, sitting down on the bench in the corner. Kairi gave him a quick cuddle and a peck on the cheek.

"I am glad you're okay Sora, you mean a lot to me," she mumbled, resting her head gently on his shoulder and squeezing his arm.

"Thanks Kai," he mumbled, giving her red hair a kiss. Riku didn't bat an eye as this happened; he was used to the affectionate way Kairi and Sora treated each, and he knew they saw each other more as siblings than as friends anyway.

"Xion and her band are having a little get together tonight," she said then, lifting her head up again to regard him with sincere eyes. "They've invited you, and Riku, and the rest of the band along, if you want to come?" Sora shifted hesitantly, not sure if he felt up to one of Xion's 'get togethers', which these tended to involve copious amounts of drinking followed by raunchy strip poker or spin the bottle. "It'll be fun! You can sleep in my room on the blow up mattress," Kairi added when she saw his hesitancy.

"Well, if the rest of the band goes, then I'll go," Sora replied, sighing, slinging an arm around her waist and drawing her closer, seeking comfort in her soft embrace. She smiled and snuggled up to him, giving Riku a little wave as he sat down behind the drum kit.

"We ready to rock this party?" the silver haired boy called, his foot tapping the high-hat pedal impatiently. The three others gave their guitars one last strum, before nodding and standing before their microphones.

"What shall we play first?" Roxas asked, his grip on his guitar relaxed. His eyes cast over to the two snuggled up in the corner and smiled at Sora warmly.

"I vote Six Feet, as that's our opening song on Monday and we only wrote it a month ago," Cloud mumbled into his mike. There was a murmur of agreement amongst the men.

"Tifa, you ready?" Zack called, and Tifa waved in confirmation, a large pair of headphones fixed over her head and her fingers on the sliding controls.

Sora sat up a little straighter, as did Kairi. They leaned forwards eagerly, as Riku started up a beat, counting them in. Cloud started a fast riff, his long fingers moving quickly over the fret board, as Zack struck up a dark bass line, and then Roxas added in some heavy chords. The acoustics in the room were completely different to the underground room of the day before, much more crisp and clear, and there were no scary black-clad fans this time.

Roxas started to sing, and Sora found that this song was completely different in tone to the song that they had played at the gig. While _The Sharpest Lives_ had been dark and wicked, _Six Feet under the Stars_ was a lot lighter, happier, and it showed in Roxas's singing. Even though he had three busted ribs, he still sang steadily, his voice never wavering, hitting the notes perfectly as he continued to play chord combinations on his black and white guitar. As the band entered the second verse, Roxas's eyes flickered closed, the boy becoming lost in his singing. Cloud had ducked his head, and was watching his fingers with intense concentration as he played; only lifting his head when he was required for the occasional harmonised singing that the song involved. Zack also had his eyes closed, kissing the mike lightly as he sang in time with Roxas, his bass chords causing the floor to vibrate with their intensity. Riku's entire body moved with the beat as he played the drums, his head nodding and his silver hair swishing back and forth, his muscled arms throwing a lot of force into the beat.

Kairi squeezed Sora's arm again, and when he looked across to see her smiling openly at Riku, he realised that he also had a big grin plastered to his face. Whilst the first song he had heard Reizones play had been breathtaking, heart pounding, and blood frenzying, this song was incredible in that it evoked such uplifted emotions and just made you feel like you were glowing inside. Roxas's voice was proving to be extremely flexible – last night he had been verging on screaming, but today his voice sounded pure and almost sweet. He was mesmerizing, and Sora couldn't do much more than gape and listen in wonder.

The song ended with abrupt applause from Tifa, Kairi and Sora (well, Sora actually was tapping his arm because his fingers hurt too much to clap with), and the band stopped to catch their breath, grinning. Roxas opened his eyes and looked directly at Sora.

"What... did you... think?" he gasped. His hand had come up to hold his ribcage again, and his breath sounding asthmatic and forced. But Sora knew that if he pointed this out, Roxas would be just as stubborn as earlier, and so chose to just answer the question.

"I loved it," he admitted, his face nearly splitting in two, his grin was so wide. Roxas returned it with a smirk, flashing his straight white teeth, and Sora's stomach did a little somersault. He put that down to a result of being kicked there repeatedly though, and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

The rest of the band practice went by quickly, even though they must have played at least twenty songs. Occasionally, Roxas would put his guitar down and play a piano accompaniment, and Zack and Cloud intermittently took over lead vocals for a couple of songs, showing how versatile the band actually was. Cloud's singing voice was like Roxas's, but it was more rough and gravely, and the songs they played when he was singing were usually extremely dark and almost gothic. Zack's voice in contrast was loud and deep, also sounding slightly rough, and the songs that accompanied him tended to feature heavy guitar chords and were generally more of the punk/grunge genre. Riku even took up vocals at one point; Cloud took over the drums, whilst Zack changed to a six string guitar, and Roxas played Zack's bass. The band really was multitalented, and it was obvious that if Roxas had to sit out on Monday because of his ribs, the band wouldn't have to cancel at all.

Tifa called it a day at lunch time, only because Roxas was now pale as a sheet and holding his side as if it was going to fall off. Sora guided him to the bench and sat him down, fishing some painkillers out of his pocket. Riku passed cans of coke around to everyone, and Roxas drank down the sugary refreshment and the painkillers eagerly, grateful for the opportunity to rest.

"That was really... incredible," Sora said as they all made their way back down to the bar for some lunch. Zack chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Looks like we have a new fan, fellas," he announced, and Sora pouted and swatted the hand away. They seated themselves at the bar again, Sora feeling his stomach do that flipping thing again when he got to sit next to Roxas. Tifa began to cook burgers for them all, and they all relaxed, elbows on the bar as they chatted about the gig on Monday, and Xion's get-together.

"Are you going to go tonight?" Sora asked as Tifa passed him and Roxas their burgers and fries. Roxas picked up a fry and began to chew on it slowly.

"Maybe. I might just go to bed though," Roxas admitted, throwing a sideways grin at the chocolate haired boy. "Although I've heard that Xion's band mates are pretty wicked. It'd be cool to meet them and talk about... music and stuff..." he trailed off, as he started to eat more enthusiastically, clearly hungry. The painkillers seemed to be working, as he winced less and less as the meal continued, for which Sora was glad. He hated the idea of Roxas being in pain.

"Well, I have to head back to mine to shower and change," Sora said, taking a swig of coke. "As you live around the corner, want to head back together? I don't think the trains are running but we can call a cab..."

"No need," Roxas grinned, twisting in his seat to regard Sora properly. "My car is parked out the back. We can get ready together at mine, if you like. We'll pick up your stuff and then head over to mine in a minute."

Sora had to mentally force his stomach into submission as it started doing what felt like an Irish tap dance in his abdomen, as the concept of spending the afternoon with Roxas slowly materialised in his brain. Ducking his head to hide a rapidly rising blush, he replied, "Sure thing."

"Great," Roxas beamed, a genuine smile that sent the tap dance in Sora's belly into overdrive. "I can't wait!"

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter, now please give me my review fix XD_


	6. Give Me Novacaine

_Well, after five hours, much procrastination and a lot of frustration, I humbly present to you chapter six. I know I said in my review replies that this was going to be a long one and would have Xion's party in it, but I decided not to include the party because firstly, I couldn't write that much on time, secondly, that would make the chapter WAY too long, and thirdly, I think the events that follow shortly are better off in their own chapter. So there. Please don't kill me -dashes away as readers form angry mob and brandish pitchforks-  
Song is 'Give Me Novacaine' by Green Day, because our boys need painkillers :P_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This makes me very sad face :(  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Six

Give Me Novacaine

Sora couldn't understand why Cloud, Zack and Riku were eyeing him with pity and sympathy as they prepared to leave Seventh Heaven. Cloud was checking his hair in the mirror behind the bar, unaware of the fact that Tifa was openly gawking as he played with his spiky blonde hair, but he kept turning away from his preening to look at Sora with a commiserating expression. Zack and Riku were sending similar looks his way as Roxas grabbed his car keys from the hook in the locked cloakroom and pulled his jacket on.

They all left the bar, Tifa hugging everyone as they bade their farewells to the busty barmaid. Zack had ruffled her hair jokingly, awarding him with a punch in the gut (which disturbingly didn't seem to affect the man at all), and Cloud had turned several shades of red when she had hugged him with an equally impressive blush. Snow was still coating the ground, though it was much less cold than it had been recently, and they trudged into the parking lot around the back whilst waving goodbye to Tifa, who stood in the doorway and returned their goodbyes.

Zack and Cloud's bikes were parked next to each other, huge identical black beasts waiting to be let loose on the world. They mounted the bikes with perturbing synchronisation, and then proceeded to pull matching shades over their electric blue eyes.

"You two are so similar it's disturbing," Riku had commented, voicing Sora's thoughts exactly. The two bike riders had shrugged in synchronisation, and then laughed at each other when they realised they were doing it.

"Well, I guess we'll see you guys at the party?" Zack questioned, pulling on a pair of black leather gloves as Cloud did the same.

"Sure thing, we'll be there," Roxas replied, and Sora nodded in affirmation. The two bodyguards said goodbye and gunned their bikes to life, racing out of the parking lot at an alarming speed and zooming onto the main street. Everyone winced when they heard cars honking, and the sound of Zack laughing drifted into the car park over the sound of revving engines and screeching tires.

"They're going to kill themselves with their drag races one day," Riku muttered, fishing keys out of his pocket and unlocking his red VW camper van. "See you guys at the party then."

"See you later Sora," Kairi said, pulling Sora into a gentle hug which he returned briefly before urging her to get in the van. Riku had cast one last mysterious look of sympathy before pulling out of his parking space and driving off, leaving Roxas and Sora alone with the only other car in the parking lot.

Sora looked at Roxas's car, admiration clearly showing in his cobalt eyes as he gazed at the machine. He didn't usually take much interest in cars, but he had to admit that Roxas's car was a beautiful piece of engineering. It was a low, sleek Japanese tuning car. Gun metal gray in colour, it was sporty without being too severe, with expensive looking chrome wheels and red bucket seats that had rally harnesses for seatbelts. Moving round to the back, he saw an exhaust pipe he could have easily fit his fist into, and whistled softly when he noted the engine size.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to drive this?" he asked, trying to keep his tone calm and free of anxiety. "I mean, you have a broken wrist and everything..."

Roxas was bent down and checking the tire pressure of the rear wheel. He didn't answer for a moment, giving Sora time to admire the way his golden bangs fell forward to shade his sapphire eyes. Finally, the blonde replied, "It should be okay, I might need to leave you in charge of the transmission though..."

Sora gulped. That didn't sound exactly safe, but Roxas was already slipping into the driver's seat and buckling himself in. The student dubiously climbed into the passenger side, admiring the expensive looking mp3 player fixed into the dashboard. They shut the doors, and the car became silent as the sounds of the outside world were completely shut out. It hit Sora that he was now completely alone with Roxas, and felt his skin break out in delicious goose bumps whilst the hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms rose as though the air was static with electricity. He glanced across to Roxas and noted that the blonde sat a little stiffly.

"Shall we go then?" Sora's voice cut through the thick silence like a knife, bringing Roxas out of his rigidity with a start. He flashed a half-bashful, half-coy smirk at the brunette and then turned the keys in the ignition, the engine roaring into life with a whine from the supercharger.

Roxas pulled the lever over into first gear with his good right hand, which then moved to grip the steering wheel. "No spacing out now Sora, you gotta pay attention if you're going to change gears for me."

"Wouldn't it just be better if I drove...?"

"No! I'm not disabled dammit!" Roxas snapped, and Sora jumped, startled by the violent reaction.

"Okay, if you say so..." he muttered, placing his left hand, which fortunately was his good hand, on the gear lever. "Ready when you are."

Roxas dumped the clutch and pressed down hard on the accelerator, and as they screeched out of the parking lot at what felt like Mach 5, Sora realised why everyone had been giving him pitying looks. Roxas was a terrifying driver.

* * *

Tidus slipped another chocolate pocky into his mouth and chewed absently, flicking through the channels on the TV without really looking at what was being shown. He was sprawled out on the small green couch in the living room, his duvet draped haphazardly over himself, in exactly the same position he had fallen asleep in last night. His blitzball lay on the floor next to his shoes and a half finished plate of Chinese food, whilst a strip of light cast across the floor through the partially closed drapes.

He glanced up when he heard the door rattling as a key was inserted and turned, and then Sora was stumbling into the flat, his eyes wide and an expression of horror on his face. A blonde boy who could have been his brother, they looked so similar, followed him into the messy apartment, rubbing the back of his neck nervously and regarding Sora was an apologetic look.

"NEVER again!" Sora gasped, glaring at the unknown blonde as he leant against the wall and pushed his fingers into his bangs in an exasperated fashion. "I thought I was going to die!"

The blonde shuffled uncomfortably, and then caught sight of their audience. Tidus waved a pocky stick at the two of them absently before sticking it in his mouth. "Yo Sora," he mumbled with his mouth full, sitting up and stretching. "Who's your friend?"

Sora looked up and noticed Tidus, and then noticed the less than tidy state of their apartment with a grimace. "This is Roxas," he muttered, starting to pick things up off the floor with an expression that showed quite clearly that he was used to cleaning up after his roommate. "He's in the band I went to see last night with Kai."

Roxas gave Tidus a polite wave with his bandaged wrist, which alerted Tidus to the less than healthy state that the two boys were in. With an indignant gasp, he rose from his seat and crossed the room in two strides with his long legs, towering over Sora as he grabbed the brunette's shoulders and forced him to look at the blitzball player. He pushed Sora's bangs out of his face to inspect the ugly purple bruises flowering all over his face like little violet rosettes.

"What the _hell_ Sora? Why didn't you say anything?! What the hell happened?" Sora's eyes looked away, his face turning red with embarrassment and annoyance, and he pulled out of Tidus's grip to move to the window, where he wrenched the drapes open with a little more force than was necessary. He continued to tidy up with irritable movements, neglecting the question with angry silence. The dirty blonde boy still wearing his pyjamas turned to Roxas and voiced the question again.

Roxas scowled and ran his hand through his hair, shifting awkwardly. "We ran into some trouble with... an old friend," he muttered, not meeting Tidus's eyes. It was clear that neither of the two beaten boys wanted to talk about how they had come to look like they did, and Tidus rolled his eyes, knowing that if Roxas was as stubborn as Sora could be (and they seemed pretty similar to him), then he wasn't going to get much more information out of him without pushing boundaries.

"Some friend he must have been," he replied, and Roxas shrugged, wincing as it put strain on his ribs.

"So Xion is having another party tonight," Sora said, changing the subject abruptly as he piled dirty plates up on his arms like a silver service waiter and carried them into the small kitchen adjoining the living room. Roxas could see him through the serving hatch in the wall as he started to load the plates into the dishwasher. "You coming Tidus?"

Tidus had slumped back onto the sofa and picked his blitzball up, spinning it on his finger like a basket ball. "Nah man, Wakka's been putting the pressure on for me to turn up to training tonight, so I gotta turn ya down."

Sora nodded as he put a tablet in the dishwasher and turned it on. The pipes shook a little in the walls as water gushed through them. Roxas remained by the door, observing the student flat that Sora called home. The main living area was quite large, but was cluttered with sports gear and drawing equipment, with the green couch and several bean bags surrounding the medium sized television. A small table stood under the window, with three folding chairs positioned haphazardly around it, and an easel rested against the wall next to the serving hatch. It held the drawing that Sora had shown Roxas on his phone last night, of the view from the clock tower with the blue crystal refracting a rainbow onto the stone ledge. Two doors stood opposite each other on either side of the small dining table, one with Tidus's name scrawled in black marker pen across it. The other had a cute chibi drawing of Sora holding a banner which stated his name.

"Well, I am going to grab some stuff and then go over to Roxas's to get ready," Sora said, wandering back into the living room as he stretched and several bones in his back cracked in a releasing way. "So I probably won't see you until tomorrow evening."

Tidus shrugged and resumed his previous activity of channel hopping, zoning out rapidly. Sora rolled his eyes affectionately and motioned for Roxas to pick his way across the battle zone of mess towards Sora's door. "It's nowhere near as messy in here," Sora muttered, unlocking the door and shoving it open when it resisted slightly. It clattered against the wall as it swung open to reveal Sora's room.

It wasn't messy in any shape or form, to tell the truth. The royal blue sheets of the double bed were straightened with almost military precision, and the numerous canvas paintings stored in here were lined neatly against the wall in size order. There wasn't even a rogue dirty sock on the floor. A poster of the popular band 'Heartless' was hung over the bed, and there were several photos of Sora on the neat desk, most of them featuring Kairi and a blonde girl who could have been her sister, as well as a pretty brunette with bright jade eyes who looked alarmingly similar to Aerith. Some of the photos however featured a tall man with dark brown hair and a thin red scar across his face.

Roxas picked up one of these photos and scrutinised it as Sora got a rucksack out from under his bed and started flicking through his clothes in the closet, trying to decide what to wear to the party. Roxas brought the photograph close to his face, realising that the scar on the brunette man's face was awfully similar to Seifer's. The man looked familiar in some way... and then it hit him.

"You know Squall Leonhart?" he asked, looking over his shoulder as Sora held up two pairs of jeans and pouted as he tried to decide between them. The brunette looked up from his indecision, his face formed in the most adorable puppy expression as he struggled with his choice.

"Yeah, he's my older brother, why?"

"Well, it's just..." Roxas debated whether to mention how he knew Sora's brother, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to bring up anything that could lead to his past being exposed. Sora was already a valued friend to him, and the last thing he wanted was to drive the cute brunette away. "I've met him a few times is all... at clubs and stuff."

Sora looked a little surprised but didn't pursue the subject. He continued with his time consuming selection of clothing without a word, leaving Roxas to amuse himself. The blonde wandered over to the stack of paintings in the corner of the room, and began to flick through them with interest. There were all kinds of artworks here, ranging from watercolour and oil paintings to pastels and felt tips. He paused on one, a samurai manga sketch which Sora had meticulously coloured in with watercolour pencils. The background of a river was particularly impressive, and Roxas admired the way Sora had managed to capture the depth of the water whilst still accentuating the rough waves that lapped around the samurai's feet.

"This is amazing Sora," he murmured incredulously, picking it up and holding it up to look at it properly in the light. The range of colours Sora had used was astounding. "This must have taken hours!"

Sora was folding a shirt carefully so as not to crease it. Not looking up from his task, he chuckled. "The samurai one, right? That's everyone's favourite..."

"I can see why!" Roxas replied, not able to hide the impressed tone in his voice. Sora looked up at him and grinned modestly.

"I just woke up one morning and thought, hey; I really want to draw a samurai! So I did, and it took me all damn weekend just to draw the lines! The colouring took about three weeks, because I had to do it around all my other commitments like my university work and so on, but I couldn't stop until it was finished. I don't know; it just... wouldn't get out of my head!" He closed his rucksack and shouldered it, a faint pink hue to his cheeks as Roxas continued to gaze at the painting with wonder before the blonde replaced it in the stack.

"I kind of get where you're coming from actually..." Roxas replied, leaning against the desk. "When I get an idea for a song, I have to write it down right there and then. It's like some kind of... outside force is pushing me to do it, almost..."

"Like someone has put the idea in your head and is forcing you to see it through?" Sora continued.

"Yeah!" Roxas replied, grinning lopsidedly. They smiled at each other stupidly for a few moments, before breaking the eye contact rather rapidly and coughing loudly. _Dammit, why does he make me so nervous? And why do I blush every time we make eye contact?!_ Roxas thought irritably as they left the room to find Tidus watching Judge Judy with glazed eyes.

"Just leave him like that," Sora muttered, pulling a fresh packet of pocky out of a cupboard and tossing it the nearly comatose blonde on the couch, who opened it automatically and started munching on the treat. "Oh yeah, I better bring another pack for Xion, she loves playing the pocky game at her parties..."

As Sora fished around for another packet in the cupboard, Roxas struggled to remember how to play the pocky game, a frown on his face. As far as he could remember, it involved two people biting either end of a pocky stick and eating their way to the centre, where they could choose to either give up the rest to the other person or 'fight' for the remaining pocky by kissing. His face turned pink at the thought.

Sora found a pack of strawberry pocky at the back of the cupboard and straightened up, putting the pack in his rucksack. "Can we walk to your place as it's only around the corner? I definitely do _not_ want to get in a car with you again..."

Roxas rolled his eyes and ruffled Sora's hair before he could stop himself; the boy was just too darn cute. "Whatever you say, puppy," he joked as they made their way out of the apartment. "Catch you later Tidus..."

"Hn," was the elaborate reply from the couch.

* * *

Roxas's apartment was in stark contrast to the pokey student abode that Sora had just shown him around. There was a guard in the bright lobby, and Roxas actually had to have his fingerprints scanned in order to gain access to his apartment. He opened his door to reveal an apartment so stunningly white that it hurt the eyes at first. The walls, the carpets, the doors, the furniture... everything was white. The only colour was in a vase of blue poppies on the coffee table in the large living room, which had an enormous white leather couch, French windows onto a balcony, and a plasma screen television mounted on the wall.

"What the... how the hell do you _pay_ for this?" Sora gasped, as he took off his trainers at the door and put them in the shoe basket provided. They padded through the apartment as Roxas took him on a mini tour, showing him the well equipped kitchen, the luxurious bathroom and the impressive master bedroom, which was the only room that had any colour in it, in the form of a crimson bedspread which contrasted sharply with the expanse of white around it.

"Modelling pays," Roxas answered simply, shrugging. "You wanna take a shower?"

For one crazy moment, Sora thought that the blonde singer/model was suggesting they take one together, and floundered helplessly for an answer as red slowly rose up his face like mercury in a thermometer. "I... I..."

"If you're worried about towels, don't worry, I have plenty to spare. I'll make us some food while you're in there if you like," Roxas continued easily, missing Sora's complete misunderstanding, much to Sora's intense relief.

"Um, sure..." Sora practically sprinted into the bathroom then, so bewildered was he by the images that had flashed through his mind that he needed to be by himself for a few minutes. He slammed the door a little more forcefully than he meant to, before leaning against it in horror. "What the _fuck?"_ he whispered angrily, covering his face with one hand and staring through his fingers with wide eyes. Why the hell had he even _imagined_ that Roxas would want to take a shower with him?! The idea was beyond ridiculous! They were both guys, for starters!

He shook his head vehemently, and began to take his clothes off carefully, being mindful of his injuries. He stared at his bruised torso in the mirror, noting with a hint of pride that he had gained more muscle tone in the past month or so. He had upped his exercise regime when Kairi had remarked that he was too skinny, and started drinking protein shakes upon Tidus's recommendation. It seemed to be paying off. The muscles of his stomach were faintly outlined, not quite a six pack but almost there, and as he turned to look over his shoulder at his back, he noticed with pleasure that his shoulders had become more defined. He would have to cut back a little now on the beefing up though, he didn't want to turn into a muscle head like Squall.

He stepped into the walk in shower and stared at the knobs and dials for a moment, trying to figure out which one would turn on the main jet, finally figuring it out and hissing loudly when the water hit his skin and stung the cuts viciously. He let out a soft groan though as the hot water started to work out a bit of muscle tension, resting his forehead against the tiles and feeling his hair eventually give in to the weight of the water to fall flat against his head.

He remained that way for a while, just enjoying the sensation of the heat working out the knots in his shoulders and soothing his marred skin. Eventually though, he stood up straight and began to wash his hair, noticing that Roxas's citrus scent came from his shower products, He winced when the lemon body wash got into his cuts but persevered, knowing it was best to clean the dirt out of the cuts. Finally, as was part of his shower routine, he turned the heat dial around to cold and forced himself to stand under the arctic jet for ten seconds; someone, he thought it might be Kairi, had told him that this made his hair shinier.

He stepped out, shivering slightly, and found clean towels in the cupboard under the sink, all of which were huge, white and incredibly fluffy. He wrapped one around himself, enjoying the soft feeling against his skin, and began to dry himself off slowly; he noticed gladly that the residue of permanent marker courtesy of Zack was now completely gone from his forehead.

"Sora?" Roxas's melodic voice drifted through the door, and it felt like someone had set Sora's veins on fire as he remembered his inappropriate thoughts from earlier. "I've made some sandwiches if you want some..."

"I'll be out in a minute Rox," he called, hearing the blonde chuckle at the nickname. He quickly dried off and got a pair of sweatpants and a blue t-shirt from his rucksack, dressing quickly before towelling his hair. He emerged to find that Roxas had set up cushions at the coffee table, in the traditional Japanese fashion, and had laid a big plate of neat looking sandwiches in the middle, along with some chips in a bowl and an assortment of fruits.

They watched the huge television as they ate; Roxas put some anime on much to Sora's delight, and they joked about the naive nature of the two main characters, who were hopelessly in love with each other but didn't ever seem to notice, although it was true that everybody around them did. "I never get people like that," Roxas mused, taking a bite of a sandwich and chewing thoughtfully. "Surely they aren't so stupid as to not notice when someone likes them?"

"I know, right?" Sora laughed, but he couldn't help but remember his earlier assumption that Roxas wanted to take a shower with him. _I'm such a pervert_... he decided, sighing mentally. _Roxas is my friend, and a guy on top of that. Maybe I am depraved..._

"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower," Roxas said, rising with a wince. "Feel free to watch whatever you want or play a game or something..." He wandered into the bathroom and shut the door. Moments later, Sora heard the water running, and Roxas's curse when he stepped in and realised the water was freezing, where Sora had forgotten to turn the temperature back up.

"Whoops," Sora giggled, before turning his attention to the number of gaming platforms before him. Roxas had everything, Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, N64, Nintendo DS... the list went on, and he noted with jealousy that his games collection spanned an entire wall, contained in their own bookshelf. He browsed for a few minutes before deciding on old school Spyro the Dragon, putting it into the Playstation and rapidly becoming absorbed in the nostalgic game from his childhood, trying not to think of the fact that Roxas was butt-naked in the next room and covered in moisture and... _STOP THOUGHTS RIGHT THERE!_ He commanded his brain angrily, causing himself to hesitate and get smashed by the club of a giant Rhynoc.

He was in the middle of a Sparx mission when the door to the shower opened and steam flowed into the room. The brunette glanced up and nearly dropped the controller. Roxas had just walked out in nothing more than a white fluffy towel, draped precariously low on incredibly defined hips. With his blonde bangs dripping in his eyes and his toned physique, he looked like something straight out of Baywatch, a hot surfer boy or a lifeguard. Little droplets of water ran down his toned chest and dipped into his navel before disappearing below the waistline of the barely concealing towel. His crystalline eyes looked more like jewels than ever as the little beads of moisture on his eyelashes framed the energetic cerulean like little diamonds. When he slid his tongue out to lick some water off his lips, slightly swollen from where he had been hit there by Seifer, Sora actually did drop the controller.

"Oh wow, I love Spyro!" the blonde exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that Sora was ogling him like a sex-starved loony. He crossed the room quickly and plonked down on a cushion next to Sora, a grin on his face. Sora nearly had heart failure. He was beyond trying to deny that Roxas was probably the most gorgeous human on the planet, beyond denying that he found the blonde attractive, even though before meeting the blonde he had never looked twice at a man. And right now, the boy was sat knee-to-knee with him, in nothing but a towel which was threatening to come undone, covered in water droplets... and Roxas was the none the wiser about how this was affecting Sora. He took several deep breaths and picked up the controller with shaking hands, turning back to the television screen with difficulty. He completed the Sparx mission with barely enough HP to keep an amoeba alive, and rapidly saved his game and handed the controller to Roxas.

Roxas looked at him patronisingly, before waving his cast wrist in Sora's face. "How the hell am I supposed to play with this?" he reminded, rolling his eyes and ruffling Sora's hair, practically causing the brunette to have a nosebleed. Sora forced himself to look away.

"Maybe you should get dressed," he muttered, his heart pounding so heart it felt like his ribcage was going to burst open.

Roxas grinned and blushed. "Whoops, sorry about that! Back in a minute!" And to Sora's intense relief (_disappointment_), he got up and wandered away into the bedroom.

Sora swore he saw his soul depart from his body as he let out a huge breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, dropping his head and trying to calm his breathing. Roxas's near nudity had opened some sort of floodgate in his mind and was now trying to send him crazy with confusion. He had _never_ been attracted to guys in his whole life! He'd slept with enough girls to prove he was attracted to the opposite sex and had fantasized about boobs like any other heterosexual male. He'd had plenty of girl friends in high school and had always been popular with the ladies... so why was Roxas, who was just another good looking guy from an objective point of view, affecting Sora so badly that he was actually trying to suppress arousal? It made absolutely no sense!

Little did Sora know that Roxas was having the exact same problem on the other side of the bedroom door.

* * *

_-shifts awkwardly- I hope you liked the Roxas ogling, it was certainly fun to write, hehe! Our boys are finally starting to realise whats going on inside their little minds XD Now, please click the great green button of joy!_


	7. Life After Death & Taxes

_Ahh! It's up! I think that all you fangirls and guys are going to be VERY pleased with this chapter! XD It's 7,083 words long, my longest chapter yet in the entire of my archiving history (thats FIVE YEARS worth of archiving people!!).  
There are two songs for this chapter, both by Relient K. The main song is 'Life After Death & Taxes', but there is a 'sub-song' as it were, which is 'Getting Into You'.  
Enjoy, and please review!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, I just borrow the characters for my own amusement.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Seven

Life After Death & Taxes  
(Getting Into You)

_What the hell?!_ Roxas thought angrily, kicking the waste paper basket with as much strength as his leg could muster. It slammed into the wall with a loud crack and bits of screwed up song attempts littered the carpet. _Why was he LOOKING at me like that?!_ The blonde let out a vicious, frustrated growl, low and guttural in his throat, as he fell against the closed door and closed his eyes in pure aggravation. His breathing was ragged, causing his toned bare chest to heave unevenly, and his blood pulsed behind his eyes.

The image of those wide, questioning cobalt eyes was seemingly imprinted on the inside of his eyelids; he could not escape it, no matter how much he growled or how hard he tried. He felt his knees shaking and slid to the floor before they caused him to collapse, talking nonsense to himself under his breath.

When he had come out of the shower in nothing but his towel, he had been overcome by extreme nervousness as he was subjected to the gaze of Sora's large, crystalline orbs, with their subtle almond shape, and the long black lashes which accentuated the upward curve of the outer corners and gave the blue depths a smoky, hazy expression. It felt like those intense, almost feminine eyes were searing through his wet skin, as they roved up and down his partially exposed body. It was disturbing and intimidating, yet at the same time so unbearably arousing that Roxas had freaked out. Desperately trying to cover his sudden excitement, he had thrown on an boyish expression as he had started talking about the game Sora was playing, and then tried to act nonchalant as he plopped himself down beside the boy. All the while, his heart had been beating so hard it felt like his ribs were going to crack, and he had been thankful that he could blame the sudden alertness of his firm nipples on the movement from a hot shower to a cool living room.

His sitting down had for some reason caused Sora to look away, and Roxas was just fine with that, yet at the same time he wanted to grab the puppy-like face by the chin and force it back to look at him roughly, so that he could once again become absorbed in those cobalt depths. When Sora had finally suggested he go and change, letting Roxas out of the hole he had unconsciously dug himself into, it had taken all his willpower not to bolt into his bedroom. He had forced himself to act casual, as though walking around in a towel in front of Sora was nothing, but as soon as the door had closed and separated him from the brunette's gaze, he had flown into a confused, frustrated rage.

He couldn't deny it any longer. He'd be lying to himself if he said that he didn't find Sora attractive. There was something about him that just reeked of a sex appeal he wasn't sure Sora was even conscious of. While his eyes were wide and almost innocent, the long, soft charcoal lashes which lined them turned them from childish, naive orbs to lust clouded windows into Sora's mind. Roxas knew he was probably fabricating the arousal he had seen in Sora's eyes, but at the time he had been so convinced that he had seen a twinkle of desire, that he had almost given into his crazy desires and jumped the boy.

It didn't help that his tanned skin was as smooth as whipped cream, nor that his chocolate spikes were threaded with subtle sun kissed highlights that made him look like he belonged on a beach in Costa del Sol in a tight wetsuit. The face which held those incredible eyes was slightly rounded, but not childishly so; Sora could use this to his advantage when he wanted to look cute by pouting, but when he set his mouth in a determined, serious line and his perfectly sculpted eyebrows quirked in a light frown as he concentrated on his Playstation game, his face became the sexiest sight Roxas had ever seen, dreamed of or imagined in his entire life.

And these thoughts were exactly why Roxas was contemplating tearing his eyeballs out with his bare fingernails at this moment in time. _This is freaking ridiculous!_ He thought angrily, his fingers clenched in the short golden strands of hair flicking forwards just in front of his ears. _We're... we're guys! I'm Roxas Strife! I don't like GUYS!_ He let out a nervous chuckle by accident. If some of the people he used to hang out with could hear what was going through his jumbled mind right now, they would laugh so hard that their sides would split.

_I like women!_ He growled mentally, but then the image of Sora's eyes travelling languidly up and down his body with his slightly pouting lips parted as if in astonishment flashed through Roxas's brain again, and he snarled heatedly.

"Roxas?" He turned to ice as the youthful voice of the brunette boy (_beauty_) drifted through the door. "You okay in there?"

_Damn. I can't just sit__ in here all day and avoid him!_ He thought as he pulled himself up and started to search for clothes. "I'm fine, I just knocked something over!" he called back to Sora, rummaging frantically through his dresser for underwear.

"Do you need any help?"

Roxas paused half way through pulling up his boxers as an extremely dirty and inappropriate image crossed his mind. He shook his head vehemently as if trying to dislodge the thought from his very brain matter. _Yep, I need help; the kind where they lock me in a padded cell._ "No, I'm fine thanks!" he called, feeling anything but as he tried to keep his voice even.

"Okay, if you're sure... hurry up though, I wanna have a go on that new Soul Calibur game you've got."

Sora's footsteps drifted away, and Roxas let out a sigh of relief, pulling his boxers the rest of the way up before searching for his favourite black denim shorts that he liked to wear when he was skating. He found them under his bed and pulled them on, noticing that he needed a belt to keep them on his hips now. Had he lost weight? He glanced to the side to look at himself in the mirror on the vanity table. His ribs were a dark bruised purple from the scuffles of the previous night, and definitely looked more prominent. That wasn't good; he'd already been too skinny to begin with. Maybe he should start working out more...

Now acutely self conscious of his thinness, he pulled a baggy sweater over his head which hid his shape suitably, and then proceeded to fiddle with his spiky blonde locks, twisting bits and parting it in different ways, before giving up and proceeding into the living room, where Sora was reading the game pamphlet in order to try and tide himself over while he waited for Roxas to dress. The puppy-like brunette looked up from reading about the new characters that had been added to observe Roxas with those penetrating crystal eyes, and the faintest pink tinge rose to his cheeks before he turned to look at the television, where the Start Screen was displayed and waiting for Roxas to sign on as player two.

They played happily enough for a while, although Sora turned out to be absolutely abysmal at beat-em-up games, and soon enough Roxas felt his troubles easing somewhat as he played games with his friend. He was relieved that his secret lust wasn't detracting from their enjoyment of each other's company, because in terms of personality they seemed to compliment each other perfectly. Sora made up for Roxas's lack of noise, and Roxas made up for Sora's distinct lack of common sense, among other things. Roxas was sure he wasn't the only one who felt charmed by Sora's puppy dog smiles and infectious bouts of giggling either.

Sora was half way through a complaint about how Roxas was beating him _yet again_, when he suddenly fell silent, and there was a _flump_ next to Roxas. The blonde looked away from the game quickly and saw that Sora had once again been overcome by a spell of narcolepsy; the brunette was snoozing peacefully on the white carpet, his usually overly excited and animated features relaxed to reveal that once you got past the cuteness, Sora was actually a very handsome boy. What looked like puppy fat when he smiled was actually dimples, which had smoothed now into a well angled face without a single spot or blemish marring the tan skin. His thick dark lashes formed sooty crescent moons on his high cheekbones, and a dusty pink flush stained his cheeks.

Before Roxas could stop and think logically, he found himself pausing the forgotten game and crawling over to the sleeping boy to look at him more closely. The blonde singer hovered over the slumbering form of Sora, supporting himself on his arms, just letting himself enjoy the view now that nobody could catch him doing it. He found his gaze being drawn to Sora's lips, which even in sleep were drawn into a soft pout. Rather than making him look cute though, this pout made him look... _sexy_. The adjective crossed Roxas's mind easily, and though he found himself mentally blushing and scolding himself for thinking of Sora in such a way, he was surprised at how easily the description fit Sora when he was like this.

Roxas's gaze roved lower, and he noticed that Sora's t-shirt had ridden up to reveal a toned, tan stomach. It was evident that Sora worked out; from the distinct lines of definition Roxas could see in his abdomen, which were bordering on a six pack but not quite. The blonde plucked up some courage, and reached out to splay his pale hand over Sora's tummy, marvelling at how warm the skin was as he let his eyes continue to wander. He admired the brunette's arms, which were slim but muscular; his hands were large but delicately boned.

The brunette sighed in his sleep, and Roxas flinched, rapidly withdrawing the hand that had been laid on Sora's stomach. When the art student continued to sleep, licking his lips slightly as he dreamed, Roxas returned his gaze to that enticing mouth. He wondered if Sora's lips were as soft as they looked. His curiosity getting the better of him, Roxas reached out and traced his guitar-calloused finger over the outline of the pink lips, admiring how perfectly curved they were, and then brushed the pad of his thumb gently over the lips themselves. The skin there felt like purest satin as his thumb glided easily over the surface, and when he applied faint pressure, he found how firm they were, giving only a little bit under his exploring digit.

He swallowed; blood was rapidly rushing to his lower regions now, and it seemed to be making his actions bolder, because now he found himself wondering if he could get away with a quick kiss. His face hovered mere inches above Sora's peacefully sleeping one, whilst the blonde worried his lower lip with his teeth as he debated inwardly.

_It's just one kiss... he doesn't even have to know..._

Sora's tongue flicked out to moisten his lips in his sleep again, and Roxas found himself suppressing a groan he usually reserved for when he was in the heat of the moment with a girl. That simple, innocent action had caused his shorts to become uncomfortably tight now.

_What the heck, I'm going to hell anyway_.

His mind made up, Roxas decided to act before he chickened out. Keeping one eye trained on Sora's expression in order to be ready in case Sora decided to wake up, Roxas slowly flexed his arms and started to lower himself over Sora. Their lips were only a centimetre or so apart when the blonde gave pause. He could feel Sora's soft breathing against his own lips, warm and enticing. Taking one last look to make sure that Sora absolutely wasn't going to wake up at any moment, Roxas's cerulean eyes fluttered shut, and he closed the distance between their lips.

If he had thought Sora's lips were soft when he touched them with his fingers, they were nothing compared to how it felt to brush his own mouth against them. Roxas's heart was beating like a drum in his ears as he brushed tiny, delicate kisses across Sora's lower lip that were more like whispers of touch in his nervousness; their mouths glided against each other smoothly, satin on satin. He was spurred on by his own unexplainable desires, and encouraged by the notion that it just felt so _right_ to be doing this, even if Sora wasn't awake to reciprocate.

Clearly, Roxas had spoken too soon though, for as soon as this thought crossed his mind, he felt the toned body beneath his start to stir, and the lips he was kissing moved in sleepy murmurs as Sora started to wake up. Roxas had never moved so fast in his life; by the time Sora's eyes were open, the blonde had darted into the kitchen, his pale face burning up and his pulsing raging through his veins.

Sora looked about, confused. The game that he and Roxas had been playing had been paused, and Roxas was nowhere to be seen. The brunette scratched his head, and tried to recall the dream he had been having before he woke up. He was pretty sure it had involved Roxas in some way... memories of a tingling sensation against his lips were flitting in the back of his mind...

_Oh god, was I dreaming of kissing Roxas?!_

Sora put his head in his hands. He had to get over this silly infatuation, and quick, because unrequited desire was not something he was willing to experience any time soon.

* * *

"Reno! Axel! Get your lazy arses out here and shift some crates!" Xion stood impatiently in the hallway, her hands on her hips, tapping her Doc Marten clad foot on the linoleum floor with growing irritation. There were two exasperated groans from within flat 707, and then two red heads slunk out to join her, wearing identical expressions on their tired faces. Axel had only woken up a few hours ago after an all night bender in the biggest club in Midgar, and Reno had just returned from work having been out the night before as well, and both were feeling distinctly inhuman. As matching sets of tourmaline green eyes glared at her with something close to venom, Xion found herself wondering not for the first time if the two were actually related more closely than cousins. They could have passed for identical twins if they wanted. The only ways to tell them apart were their hairstyles and their tattoos. While Axel's hair was gelled into long crazy spikes that reached down to just below his shoulders, Reno wore his hair softly in a long, low ponytail that skimmed his waist, and while Axel had small crimson diamonds tattooed under his eyes, Reno had scarlet slashes skimming diagonally along his cheekbones.

The cousins reluctantly started to pick up crates and move them into the flat. There had to be at least ten crates, all of which had twenty-four cans of beer each in them. Xion did the math quickly in her head and worked out that they had 240 cans of beer to get through tonight, as well as several bottles of vodka and tequila. Xion always prepared well for parties, and this paid off, because her flat was now the central meeting point for her band and circle of friends, as well as the place everyone went whenever they wanted to have a good time.

"Hey Xion, what's going on?" The black haired musician turned to see her girly flatmate coming out of the elevator, her tall, silver haired boyfriend in tow.

"Hey Kairi, Riku, I'm just getting the redheads to move all this beer in. Lil ol' me couldn't do it alone." There was a loud, poignant scoff from the flat, to which Xion replied with a particularly colourful insult without missing a beat, before continuing her conversation with Kairi. "So how many people have you invited? Just to get an idea on numbers, you know?"

Kairi started counting them off on her fingers. "Well, there's me and Riku, Sora, Roxas, Cloud and Zack so far. I think Zack is going to ask his girlfriend if she is coming too and Sora was going to ask Tidus. So at least six people at the moment."

Reno had re-emerged into the hallway; he was still wearing his black suit that was part of his work uniform, the white shirt untucked and loose, and his tie poking out of his blazer pocket rather than around his neck where it should have been. "Did you say Cloud and Zack?" he asked now, wiping his jade eyes blearily and running his fingers through his fluffy bangs in an effort to reenergise himself. "As in, Cloud Strife and Zack Fair?"

Kairi nodded, gasping as something occurred to her. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you would already know them, seeing as you and Rude work with them! Where _is_ Rude, by the way?"

"You know old baldy," Xion replied as they made their way into the flat, which had been cleaned in preparation for the party that was due to start in the next hour or so. "He's working as usual. Said something about doing some paperwork... he'll be over later though for the poker, you can count on it."

The flat itself consisted of four rooms; the main living area, two bedrooms and a bathroom. In the main area, the central point was the large window which overlooked the river. Underneath this window, a table and benches had been erected, hand built by Xion when she was bored, forming a sort of booth. By the door into the hallway, there was a vintage 1950's refrigerator that worked perfectly and had plenty of space for storing beer, and a kitchen counter with a cooker and sink. The bedrooms were opposite sides of the main living area, and the bathroom stood opposite the kitchen area. There was plenty of floor space in all the rooms for people to crash if they were too tired or too drunk to go home.

Kairi and Riku vanished into the redhead's bedroom briefly to dump their things and then sat down at the table with Reno, Axel and Xion. Kairi absently reminded Xion to pull down her skirt, a force of habit since she had been saying it since the day she met the raven haired rock chick. Xion was wearing her usual ensemble, which consisted of a very short red tartan miniskirt, a black baby tee and knee high Doc Marten's, with a studded black choker and heavy punk make up to accessorize. At Kairi's comment, she rolled her eyes but yanked her skirt down a bit over her pale, fishnet enclosed thighs.

"So I've got all the alcohol sorted," Xion stated, grabbing a notepad that was on the table and ticking off something on a list she had made. "How is music coming along, Axel?"

The redhead had a laptop set up on the table, and was clicking and scrolling rapidly, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. "I'm still working on the playlist; I'm about halfway through your music library at the moment."

Xion nodded. "Well, you can keep adding stuff as we play the playlist if you're still doing it when the party kicks off. Reno, where did you put all the sleeping bags?"

The other redhead yawned openly and rubbed his eyes. "Up in the loft, like I do every time you decide to have a party."

Satisfied, Xion ticked off another item on her list. She looked up at Riku and Kairi next. "Did you bring all the paper cups I asked you to?"

It was Riku who nodded and replied, "Yes, they're in Kairi's room. We bought a few jumbo packs of coke and lemonade too, in case you needed mixers."

"I hadn't thought of that, nice call," Xion muttered, scribbling on her note pad with intense concentration. She took her parties very seriously.

"Yeah, well, you usually just drink liquor straight, so you wouldn't think of that," Reno muttered, earning himself a smack round the head with the notebook.

* * *

About an hour later, the guests started to arrive. Most of them were people from the music scene, such as other bands and some roadies, but there were a few of Reno's work friends from ShinRa there too, as well as one or two of Kairi's office friends. Sora and Roxas arrived about twenty minutes after the stated starting time, admiring the party as they greeted people they knew and took their coats off.

Sora was wearing a casual short sleeved shirt that was the exact same colour blue as his eyes, a deep cobalt colour that set off his tanned skin and chocolate locks perfectly. He had chosen to wear loose black faded jeans and smart black trainers that had cobalt blue laces, and was wearing a single thick silver chain around his neck. He appeared to have gotten hold of some make up, because his bruises and cuts appeared diminished and nowhere near as painful looking as they had been that morning.

Roxas was a vision in black leather, making his cerulean eyes stand out considerably; his pants were tight but not like a second skin, showing off his long, well shaped legs and firm butt (for those that were looking), and he wore a simple white t-shirt under his black leather jacket. He was wearing his usual gothic jewellery, and his hair looked extra spiky, suggesting that he had run some gel through it. The bruise on his face also appeared to have been covered up.

Xion whistled when the two walked through the door and leaned over to whisper in Kairi's ear. "Damn, Sora looks good tonight! And is that Roxas with him?"

"Yeah, they both look great, don't they?" Kairi replied a little wistfully. She hadn't realised until then how good looking her best friend actually was.

"They kind of look like a pair though," Riku commented, taking a gulp of his beer. "I mean, you wouldn't think that they only met yesterday. They look really comfortable with each other."

"They're not _gay_, are they?" Xion asked, dreading the answer as she took in the toned stomach visible through Roxas's tight t-shirt.

Kairi burst out laughing. "Unless he's very much stuck in the closet, I know that Sora likes girls. He had more girlfriend's in high school than I can count on my hands."

"And I can definitely say, hand on heart, that I _know_ Roxas likes girls, else he wouldn't eye up every female he sees," Riku said also laughing. "But I can see why you had cause for concern, they do seem almost like a couple."

* * *

"You want a drink?" Roxas asked, touching Sora's arm as he leant in to talk in the brunette's ear. Ever since his stolen kiss with the sleeping Sora, Roxas had been on edge, wondering if the boy suspected what had happened. And now that Sora was dressed up in clothes that made Roxas ache to take them off again, it was becoming increasingly difficult to act normally around the chocolate haired boy.

Sora shivered as Roxas's breath ghosted across his neck as the boy spoke in his ear. Since waking up from his dream of kissing the blonde, Sora had been a nervous wreck around the boy. He wasn't sure why, but he could sense that Roxas was also tense. The friction between them was so great he was surprised that sparks weren't flying.

"A beer would be great," he replied to Roxas's question, and the blonde gave him a simple smile which knocked him for six nonetheless, and made his way over to the kitchen counter where beer had been lined up, as well as vodka, tequila, absinthe and several other lethal looking spirits. There were cups and mixing drinks, and plates of nibbles like chips and cocktail sausages. Soft rock was playing the background, loud enough that everyone could hear it but not so loud that people had to raise their voices to be heard. There were about fifteen people crowded into the flat, all intermingling and chattering for now before the really wild stuff like strip poke began.

Roxas grabbed two beers and brought one back to Sora, who had been approached by Kairi and Riku and was chatting animatedly with them. Riku grinned and nodded at Roxas as the blonde approached them, giving his band mate's hair a ruffle as he knew it irritated Roxas to no end.

"No, Tidus had to go to blitzball practice tonight," Sora was saying disappointedly to Kairi. "Thanks Roxas," he beamed as the blonde passed him his drink. Roxas returned the grin but then looked away, feeling his stomach do a somersault.

"That's a shame, he's always a laugh at parties," Kairi replied to Sora, sipping on an alcopop. Everyone eyed her warily as she drank, waiting for the inevitable tipsy giggles to start.

"You gonna introduce us or what?" They all turned to see Xion and her redhead band mates stood there, all clad in gothic leather and tartan. Xion had a Vivienne Westwood ring on one finger, and it gleamed in the light as she necked some of her drink.

"Oh of course, you haven't met Roxas," Kairi said. Sora had already met Xion and her band mates, as he spent a lot of time over at the flat visiting Kairi, and Xion's band were always hanging around in 707. "Roxas, this is Xion, Reno, and Axel. They're all part of the band, The Nobodies."

Roxas nodded as he shook everyone's hand in turn. "I've seen you guys at some of the gigs, you're pretty good from what I've seen."

"Xion's voice is so awesome!" Kairi squealed, bouncing on the spot and clapping her hands. Xion rolled her eyes but slung her arm around Kairi's shoulder affectionately.

"Where's your drummer then?" Roxas asked the redheads, who were standing in identical poses and swigging from beers in unison. "That bald guy?"

"Oh, Rude is working late at ShinRa, he'll be over later," Reno answered. "You're Cloud's little brother, right?"

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, he is, do you know him?"

"I work with the guy, and Zack too. They're pretty decent guys, and awesome musicians from what I've seen of your band."

"What was it that you played again, guys?" Sora interjected, wanting to get in on the conversation too.

"Reno plays lead guitar, I play bass," Axel responded, the first thing he had said all night. "Got it memorized now, shorty?" He playfully punched Sora's shoulder, causing the boy to wince.

"What happened to you two anyways?" Reno asked, eyeing the bruises and cuts that the boys had attempted to cover up. "Did ya fall down a well or something, yo?"

"Very funny, if you're a bodyguard of Rufus ShinRa then you of all people would know that Seifer was out and about last night," Roxas responded. A knowing look crossed Reno's face and he bared his teeth in anger, not directed at Roxas but at the mention of Seifer's name.

"So that dirt bag is still showing his face after the beating we gave him two months ago?" Reno snarled, cracking his knuckles loudly and causing some of the other guests to look over in alarm.

"Calm down cuz," Axel sighed, putting a hand on Reno's shoulder. "We'll get him later, yo? Anyway, I'm sure Fair and Strife are already forming a plan for revenge."

"Speaking of old Spiky and Wolf, they just arrived," Riku commented before moving away to get another drink.

Roxas didn't have time to turn around as he was caught from behind by two tanned, strong arms and pulled into a bear hug that made his ribs protest painfully. "Zack! Watch the ribs!" he choked, and was immediately released.

"Whoops, sorry little buddy!" the sable-haired bassist replied, giving his infamous puppy dog face as a way of seeking forgiveness. Cloud reached forward and ruffled his brother's hair.

"You're the second person to do that tonight and it's getting on my nerves," Roxas growled, reaching up to adjust his hair back into it's pristine spikes.

"I might as well have a go too then," Zack said, and mussed up the spikes even more.

"I'll kick you in the balls, Fair."

"Too bad I got balls of steel then, ain't it Roxy?"

* * *

Zack and Cloud were the last of the guests to arrive. It turned out that Aerith had opted out, when Sora had asked where she was.

"Aerith isn't much of a party goer," Zack said as he mixed himself a vodka with coke, which was more vodka than soft drink. Sora could see what the raven haired man meant. Aerith had come across as very quiet, the type of person who preferred a night in with a movie or a book over wild partying until the early hours.

He and Roxas circulated the party, meeting all the other guests. Kairi had invited three people from the office she worked in, two of which Sora already knew, Naminé and Olette. Roxas realised that they were the blonde and brunette that had been in some of the photos on Sora's desk. It turned out that Naminé was Kairi's cousin, which explained their similarities in terms of looks. But they were completely different when it came to personality. While Kairi was hyper, extrovert and lacking in common sense, Naminé was quiet, sensible and shy. Olette was the girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to Aerith, but when asked if they were related, she said she had never heard of an Aerith Gainsborough before, let alone been related to one.

The other person Kairi had invited from work was her gay best friend (or GBF as she liked to call him), Marluxia. He was extremely tall, almost taller than Zack, with long, flowing pink hair and a penchant for flowers. It was clear why he and Kairi got along so well, they were both as hyper and scatty as each other.

Xion had invited some fellow musicians, as well as one of The Nobodies' most dedicated roadies, Selphie. Selphie was a pretty girl with mousy brown hair that flicked out at the ends, and she seemed to be absolutely head over heels in love with Xion, whether with romantic feelings included or not, nobody was sure. She had been to every single gig of Xion's without fail since the band was established about a year ago, but rather than being a nuisance to the band, she had ended up becoming one of their firm friends. She got on well with Kairi and Sora too, having gone to the same high school as them.

The two musicians Xion had invited tended to stick to themselves. They were part of a band that was steadily rising through the ranks in the music industry, Knives and Mind Games. Larxene, the lead singer, was a short blonde with a strange obsession for sharp or electrocuted items, but she was nice enough once you got past her shell. Her band mate, Zexion, was probably the epitome of emo, with his blue-grey hair pulled forward into a large fringe that covered one mysterious eye. He generally stayed quiet, throughout the conversations, grunting if he was spoken to and very rarely adding his own input.

Sora and Roxas were just being introduced to one of Reno's work mates, Cissnei, a pretty girl with curly ginger hair, when Xion jumped up on the table and announced that Spin the Bottle was about to begin, before demanding that everyone sit down in a circle while she found an empty bottle that hadn't yet been smashed for Larxene's amusement.

Separating for the first time that night, Roxas and Sora sat down with their own friends, Sora being with Kairi, Olette and Naminé, whilst Roxas sat with his band. The two boys were sat opposite each other in the huge circle, so they could still chat and wave to each other. Zack was bouncing up and down excitedly and Marluxia looked fit to burst at all the gorgeous men he could potentially end up kissing thanks to this game.

"Sora, you said you brought pocky?" Xion asked as she stepped into the middle and placed an empty vodka bottle on the floor. Sora nodded, and she continued, "Can you get it out? I want to use it for forfeits."

Sora leaned back and grabbed his rucksack where it rested against the wall, rummaging through it until he found the pack of strawberry pocky. He handed it to Xion, who grinned evilly, making Sora shiver. Her mischievous intentions were unmasked and extremely evident in her dark blue eyes. "Thanks Sora, this is going to make the game pretty interesting."

She walked back to the centre of the circle and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. When Zack didn't stop talking, she kicked him sharply with her Doc Marten. He didn't seem fazed by the attack, but shut up nonetheless.

"Okay, before the kissing starts I want to lay down some ground rules so that nobody gets confused," Xion said, casting her eyes around her at the faces which looked up at her, some looking excited and some looking like they really wanted to be somewhere else. "First off, this ain't truth or dare. Either you kiss the person, or you do a forfeit, simple as that. If you've already kissed the person once before, you have to kiss them open mouthed. Twice before, tongues for ten seconds. After that, its tongues for twenty seconds, thirty seconds, et cetera, you get the idea."

Sora was relieved that Xion wasn't including the rule she had used last time, which was that if you ended up with a person more than six times you had to start taking each other's clothes off, one item each every time the bottle paired you up. The black rock chick continued.

"Secondly, you can choose to not kiss someone, but then you have to do a forfeit. A first offense is downing a double shot of absinthe-" everyone grimaced at this, "-and a second offense is to play the pocky game with someone of my choice. After that, it's stripping."

Sora groaned. He should have known she would work stripping into the game somehow, not that she had a lot of flesh left to reveal in the mini skirt she was wearing. Maybe that was why she was so comfortable with stripping off in front of people – her clothes didn't leave much to the imagination anyway.

"My final rule," Xion was saying, "Is that you cannot use being in a relationship as an excuse not to kiss someone. That means _you three_, Kairi, Riku and Zack! If you don't like it, go home! Or to your room, if you live here."

Kairi rolled her eyes, as did Zack and Riku. Xion took her place between Axel and Reno (strategically arranging her skirt when Kairi told her to stop showing the world her panties), and set the game in motion by spinning first. The sounds of the bottle spinning around on the linoleum floor echoed inside the glass as the neck of the bottle circled, choosing its prey. When it landed on Marluxia, everyone burst into hysterics at the face he made.

"And here I thought I'd be getting some _man_ tushy this evening," he proclaimed dramatically, but he crawled into the centre of the circle with Xion and shared a brief kiss. Everyone hooted and cat called, and Reno made a comment about Xion being so tomboyish that she counted as male anyway, which earned him a kick in the face when she broke the kiss.

The game progressed with interesting couplings; Axel and Larxene kissed each other so briefly that they were forced to repeat the action to prove that they had kissed, and Reno and Cloud shared a kiss that was so surprisingly sensual that people were openly gawking, and Marluxia was positively drooling. Roxas was the only person who looked anything _but _aroused, the sight of his own brother kissing _anyone_ being remotely disturbing for him. Zack ended up kissing Cissnei, the ginger girl that he, Reno and Cloud worked with, and it was evident when Cissnei crawled back to her place afterwards that she had just fulfilled something close to a life long dream. Her eyes were distant and clouded with happiness, and her face was so red she could have been mistaken for a pillar box.

When it came to Roxas's turn to spin, Sora found himself leaning forward unconsciously, unable to hide his blatant interest in who Roxas would be paired up with. The bottle spun quickly as Roxas twisted it with a deft motion of his wrist, a blur of transparent glass at first before it started to slow. As it started to slow, Sora felt in the pit of his stomach that it was going to land on _him_, but to his relief (and at the same time, complete and utter dismay), it passed him and landed on Naminé.

The two blondes crawled into the centre, and Roxas kissed Naminé boldly, unafraid, angling his head so that their lips were in full contact. Despite his growing attraction to Roxas, Sora wasn't jealous of Naminé. He had played this game too many times to be angry at the bottle's choices. Instead, he found himself staring with wide eyes at Roxas, finding the view extremely erotic as Roxas's lips brushed against Naminé's, his cerulean eyes closed as he concentrated. They broke after a few seconds, the blonde girl blushing profusely, and moved back to their seats as people cat called.

The game continued, resulting in more interesting pairings. Riku and Selphie kissed, which Kairi and Sora found hilarious because Selphie had had a crush on Riku ever since she saw him on a bus when she was a sophomore, and now that she was fulfilling her crush, her face was turning from red to blue to green to white in her nervousness. She broke the kiss after a few seconds, and rushed off to the bathroom to puke her guts up, indicating that either she had drunk too much or Riku's kissing was repulsive (which Kairi assured him was not the case).

When Cloud shared a kiss with Zack that was equally as erotic as the one he had shared with Reno, everyone agreed that Cloud kissing anybody was probably going to be a sexual sight, although Roxas looked about ready to join Selphie to puke his guts up at the sight of his brother kissing yet again. When Larxene spun, she and Zexion shared a quick kiss, looking relieved that they were able to keep it within their circle, but then when it was Zexion's turn to spin and he got Marluxia (who looked like he was going to go into orbit at any moment), that relief quickly turned to horror.

Eventually, it was Sora's turn. He reached forward and spun the vodka bottle, its echoing sound reverberating on the linoleum. And, as though fate had sensed his disappointment last time, the bottle fell on Roxas. Cloud paled and excused himself to 'check on Selphie' as he put it, and Roxas turned an interesting shade of green. _Does he find the idea of kissing me THAT repulsive?_ Sora thought with an air of sadness as the two boys crawled into the middle. Little did he know that Roxas had turned green because he was so nervous about kissing Sora when he was _awake_ this time.

They avoided each other's eyes as they neared each other, sporting matching blushes at the encouraging shouts from Zack and Reno. Not wanting to prolong their nerves and suffering (_anticipation_), the two boys swiftly pressed their lips together, changing their whole perspective on life forever.

_Oh… my god,_ Sora thought as their lips moved against each other, soft mouth to soft mouth. _This feels… so __**right**__… _He gasped when Roxas increased the pressure of his lips, turning it into an open mouthed kiss. People starting hooting and wolf whistling, but the sounds were muffled and distorted, like background noise to Sora, because Roxas caught his lower lip between his teeth and dragged his incisors teasingly over the sensitive skin, eliciting another gasp from the brunette. Sora unconsciously lifted his hand and weaved his fingers into Roxas's blonde locks at the base of his scalp, discovering that his hair was incredibly soft and fine, like spun silk in his fingers. The brunette was quickly losing all reservations he had had, and now ran his tongue across Roxas's lower lip eagerly.

Xion, however, spoiled the fun. "Alright, break it up now! Get a room later you guys!" The two blushed harder than they had ever blushed in their lives and crawled back to their seats. Sora found his stomach sinking as they continued to play; Roxas was avoiding his gaze adamantly, purposely looking anywhere but into the brunette's questioning eyes. Inwardly, he sighed. Roxas had probably just been caught up in the moment. Like Sora had told himself many times, there was no way that Roxas would be attracted to him.

_And I shouldn't be attracted to Roxas either!_ He thought irritably.

But the party had only just gotten started, as they were soon to find out…

* * *

_To be continued...  
MUHAHAHA I am SO EVIL!! BUT I gave you all some much needed fanservice, and lots of it, so I hope you enjoyed it! (I certainly did XD)  
Please, please review :) I'll give you cookies if you do!_


	8. How Does It Feel

_Hello! I'm back with another update! This chapter isn't as long as the last one, but it's full of fanservice, so hopefully that should tide you over until next week :) I'm really ill at the moment so my brain couldn't churn out much more than this anyway, it hurts too much to think :(  
The song for this chapter is 'How Does It Feel' by Sugarcult._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This makes me cry.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Eight

How Does It Feel

The kissing game continued, and more alcohol was consumed. But try as he might, Roxas could not bring himself to look Sora in the eye. It was as though their gazes were two north poles of a magnet, and kept deflecting from one another every time they got too close.

_What the hell was I thinking?_ The blonde musician thought as laughter rang out all around him, because Axel and Reno had been forced to play the pocky game with each other. Watching as the two red heads looked at each other in horror whilst they nibbled on either end of the strawberry sweet; Roxas felt a blush rushing to his cheeks as he recalled his kiss with Sora. He had only meant to give the brunette a swift peck on the lips, but something had held him there, as though magnetised. The feeling of his lips gliding so effortlessly against Sora's, the sound of the brunette's quickened, heated breathing, the way Sora had laced his fingers into Roxas's hair... all of it had contributed to a lust induced haze that had clouded Roxas's judgement and spurred him on. He shifted uncomfortably on the floor as he realised that his arousal was becoming visible, and the memory of how their gasps had intermingled when the kiss turned open-mouthed was not helping him in his predicament.

But that problem was quickly solved, when Cloud spun the bottle and it landed on him. Arousal - gone.

Both brothers paled instantly, their sapphire eyes widening in horror as Zack exploded with laughter and fell backwards, his head narrowly missing the leg of the table. Reno and Axel snickered, seeing it as compensation for their having to play the pocky game with each other.

"Hell _no_," the blondes said in unison, which only made more people start to laugh. Roxas's expression of absolute mortification was a sight to behold, and the disgusted, fight-or-flight predicament displayed on Cloud's face was equally entertaining.

"So you're forfeiting then, Cloud?" Xion asked, snickering evilly as she waved the box of pocky at him. The perfectly sculpted blonde gave her a condescending look, as if to say, _Was there really any doubt?_

"Okay then, so I get to choose someone else for you to play the pocky game with!" Xion cried happily, casting her indigo eyes around the circle, looking for a suitable victim. Her eyes fell on the brunette with the spiky hair, who was casting nervous, saddened glances at Roxas and fidgeting uncomfortably next to Kairi.

"I pick Sora," she cackled, causing Cloud, Roxas _and_ Sora to stare at her with expressions that were a mixture of incredulity, confusion and fear. She flashed an evil grin at the three of them and produced a pocky stick from the packet. "Eat up boys!"

Roxas could only watch as Sora and his brother reluctantly moved to the centre of the circle and took the sweet from Xion. After a few seconds of nervous speculation of the stick, and awkward, hesitant decisions as to who should bite which end, Cloud held up the stick and gently bit down, whilst Sora's teeth secured onto the other end.

It was strangely alluring, but at the same time slightly disturbing, watching as his crush and his brother started to hesitantly nibble their way to the middle of the sweet, eyes fixed on each other warily as if trying to communicate telepathically for one to go faster and finish the sweet before they had to meet in the middle. But they both stayed at the same pace, their eyes becoming more and more frantic-stricken as they reached the centre. Cloud paused, millimetres from Sora's mouth, before wincing, closing his eyes and taking a final bite of the pocky, thus pressing their lips firmly together.

Roxas squeaked (yes, _squeaked_) and brought his hands over his eyes, but continued to peek through the gaps in his fingers when Cloud and Sora did not swiftly break apart and instead continued to kiss. The older, more dominant blonde growled and pressed his lips more forcefully against Sora's, causing the boy to gasp and open his mouth. People were gaping, their mouths hanging open, at the incredibly sensual sight of the gorgeous blonde taking control over the younger, cute brunette puppy. Xion was looking smug, pleased that her matching skills were producing such great results.

A little whine escaped Sora's throat and spurred Cloud on further; he caught the boy's lower lip none-too-gently between his teeth and nibbled on it, his hands coming up to fist themselves in the brown spikes. Sora's hands were tracing Cloud's chest with trembling fingers; the boy still hadn't closed his eyes and he was looking at Cloud with utter bewilderment, as if wondering why on earth the man was increasing the intensity of the kiss, and at the same time wondering why he was encouraging it.

All the time, Roxas stared through his fingers, finding himself entranced by the sight of Sora being dominated so easily, the way his lips moved so naturally as he kissed Cloud. Whenever Sora let out a little noise of surprise or enjoyment, Roxas felt his leather pants becoming uncomfortably tight.

The two broke apart after a few moments which had seemed like hours, panting softly and their faces immediately becoming red and flushed. Some of the other people in the circle had dry mouths from gaping; Marluxia appeared to have died and gone to heaven, his eyes were practically rolling in their sockets.

"Well..." Zack said loudly, breaking the silence. "That was... interesting." Cloud and Sora were back in their seats quicker than a rabbit in its warren, and both simultaneously started downing their drinks, trying to drown away their feelings of absolute mortification. Roxas decided he would join them and knocked back his vodka with coke in one gulp.

The game ended when Xion's final band mate arrived. Rude was a tall man with a skinhead and piercings all the way up both ears, black sunglasses obscuring his eyes even though he was indoors. He was still wearing his work uniform, a black Japanese suit which zipped up at the front, and he was carrying a briefcase in one hand, and a bag filled with more alcohol in the other.

"Rude!" Xion cried, halfway through her third kiss with Axel, who broke away a little too quickly, his face going pink. The black haired girl leapt to her feet and gave her drummer a big hug. "Ohh, you brought more vodka!" She grabbed the bag from him and skipped over to the kitchen counter to make herself another drink. Rude sat down at the table, nodding at everyone, and the circle dispersed.

Sora took this opportunity to lock himself in the bathroom for a few moments. He sat down on the edge of the bath, feeling the world swaying around him from the amount of beer he had induced, and fuzzily picked through what had happened during the kissing game. He had ended up kissing not only Roxas and Cloud, but also Kairi, Naminé and Zexion. His lips were tingling from all the encounters, but none of them had been as heated, or as heart-pounding as the ones he had shared with Roxas and Cloud. He was confused; whilst the kiss with Cloud had been exciting and almost sexual, he didn't feel attracted to him in any way. He could acknowledge that the older blonde was incredibly good looking, with his classical good looks and his fair, perfect spikes, along with those almost-too-bright eyes, but at the same time, Sora felt nothing. When he compared this with how he felt when he thought of Roxas, there was an obvious difference – his breath didn't hitch in his throat and his heart didn't go mental whenever he thought of Cloud, like it did with Roxas. His actually brain cells tended to shudder and vibrate as though they had nicotine deprivation when he thought of Roxas.

But Roxas was blatantly ignoring him now. For the entire hour that they were playing Spin the Bottle, after their kiss Roxas had not looked at Sora once, choosing to stare at his hands in his lap or the floor. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. The only relief Sora felt was that the blonde singer was not kissing his other match-ups anywhere near as passionately as he had kissed Sora.

He groaned as the world swirled around him, and stood up to bend over the sink, splashing water on his face and trying not to dry heave. He had downed about ten beers in the hour that they had been playing the game, and had also had a double shot of absinthe when he forfeited kissing Marluxia. His stomach was rumbling in warning.

"Sora?" He didn't look around as he panted heavily, trying to control his stomach. He knew the voice anyway; Roxas had just walked in. Sora vaguely thought that he had locked the door when he went to the bathroom, but that was quickly vanquished from his mind when his stomach won the battle with his mind.

He expected Roxas to turn around and leave, it wasn't the nicest scene in the world after all. What he didn't expected was for a wet flannel to be pressed to his forehead and for Roxas to start rubbing his back in soothing circles, running the tap of the sink to as to wash away what Sora threw up.

"I got the feeling this was going to happen after you stumbled off," Roxas murmured, squeezing his shoulders reassuringly as Sora trembled, his knees weakening. He leaned heavily against the sink, gasping for air as the vomiting subsided, moaning as his stomach gurgled angrily at him. He felt humiliated and embarrassed – this was not a sight he had wanted Roxas to see. But the blonde did not seem to mind in the slightest. He kept rubbing Sora's back, asking if he was alright, and talking and joking light-heartedly to lift the mood. You would not have thought that just ten minutes ago he had been astutely avoiding Sora.

Roxas left briefly, only to fetch a glass of water and Sora's toothbrush from his backpack. He sat Sora down on the closed lid of the toilet and wiped the flannel over his face, letting Sora enjoy the cool material against his skin, and then helped him take a sip of water before brushing his teeth. Sora had regained enough self control by now to do the latter task himself, and so Roxas rinsed out the sink whilst Sora freshened his breath. He was so used to this by now, being a musician who was invited to VIP parties where worse happened than some drunken vomiting, that he didn't even bat an eyelid. Sora, however, was now the one avoiding his gaze.

"Th-thanks," the brunette muttered as Roxas helped him take another sip of water. "S-sorry about that... you didn't have to..."

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't hold your hair back while you vomited?" Roxas joked, ruffling Sora's spikes affectionately as he crouched down in front of the brunette. "Do you feel any better?"

"Mmm," Sora affirmed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "Hungry."

Roxas chuckled. "Just sit here for a moment and I'll go grab some of those nachos I saw." He exited the room, leaving Sora alone with his decidedly more articulate thoughts for a few moments. He returned to find the brunette had stood up and was checking his outfit in the mirror, making sure there weren't any creases in his shirt or dirt on his pants.

"Didn't I tell you to sit still?" he laughed, and Sora rolled his eyes, slumping back down on the toilet as Roxas passed him a plate loaded with nachos, cocktail sausages and pineapple chunks. "I didn't get you any of the cheesy dip because I didn't think dairy would sit too well with you at the moment."

Sora grimaced at the thought of cheese and thanked Roxas, taking the plate and wolfing down his first ten nachos hungrily. Roxas sat on the edge of the bath and picked food off the plate, nibbling absent mindedly as he watched Sora eat. The brunette calmed down slightly as his initial hunger was abated, and ate in a more dignified manner.

"I'm sorry about the kiss," Sora suddenly blurted out, his nose and cheeks stained bright red. Roxas looked down at him, his face also turning red.

"No," he sighed, running his fingers through his blonde spikes agitatedly, "_I'm_ sorry, Sora. I don't know what I was doing. I just... got caught up in the moment, I guess."

"Is that why you wouldn't look at me afterwards?" Sora asked sadly, nibbling on a sausage and staring at the tiles on the floor.

"You noticed that, huh?" Roxas mused, grabbing another nacho and biting it absently. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Sora."

"It's fine," the brunette mumbled, his eyes obscured by his bangs as he hung his head. "Can you... give me a minute?"

Thinking Sora needed the bathroom; Roxas nodded and grabbed some more nachos off the boy's plate before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. A few seconds passed and Sora didn't move, save for a slight tremble in his joints. After a couple of moments, he leaned forward and flicked the lock shut on the door, put the paper plate on the floor, and pressed his palms to his eyes as he tried to fight the suddenly overwhelming urge to cry. A choked sob racked his throat and his sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He had known all along that the kiss hadn't meant anything, that Roxas just didn't _feel_ that way about him, but somehow hearing Roxas apologise had just made it so much worse. He bent over, hugging his knees and pressing his face into his legs, letting soft sobs escape every now and then.

He didn't even know why he cared. Roxas was a guy, after all, and last time Sora had checked, he himself was as straight as a ruler. So why did he feel so miserable?

_It must be the alcohol,_ he thought, wiping his eyes and checking in the mirror to make sure it didn't look like he had been crying. _I'm just overemotional with everything that has happened recently._

He emerged to find that lots of people had settled into a game of strip poker now that Rude had arrived, Roxas included. He was waved over to the table to join them, so he grabbed another beer and some more food and went to join them. 'Them' consisted of Rude, Xion, Axel, Reno, Roxas and Zack, the latter being the one with the least clothes on at that moment.

Sora didn't really know the rules of strip poker, or any kind of poker for that matter, so he just let Roxas help him as he drank and ate. At first, his luck seemed to be in, because when everyone else had removed their t-shirts (and Zack was down to his underwear, he really was an awful player), Sora was still fully clothed. The sight of Roxas without a top on was both incredible and nerve racking, and also slightly saddening at the same time, because the bruises on his ribs were still an angry violet and his skin looked deathly pale. He was frequently distracted from these facts though by the toned muscles and smooth, velvety looking skin.

But suddenly, Sora's luck went down the drain. He wasn't sure if Roxas was doing it intentionally all of a sudden, but he seemed to making very bad choices for Sora, and soon enough, the brunette was down to his blue boxers like Zack, whilst everyone else was still only topless. Xion was showing off her black bra proudly, claiming she had worn it specifically for strip poker. Sora noticed Axel's gaze in particular kept drifting to her cleavage, which although not particularly impressive was still noticeable in the lewd bra.

Roxas was enjoying himself immensely. The sight of Sora in nothing but a pair of loose blue boxers that hung off his defined hips and revealed copious amounts of toned, tanned thigh was truly spectacular. He was indeed making Sora lose on purpose, though he hadn't done it consciously at first. Although his mind was still nagging at him, saying it was improper and he didn't like men in the slightest, he was enjoying the view too much to listen to reason. The tanned skin of Sora's neck look particularly inviting, and he found himself unable to resist touching it, leaning in to whisper something in the brunette's ear as an excuse.

Xion watched the boys with amusement as clothes were removed and dropped in the pile at the end of the table. If she hadn't known better, she would have said that they were a couple, and Roxas was teasing Sora before a night of unbridled passion. But the frustrated, confused look in Sora's eyes spoke volumes about their relationship, as did the slightly wistful expression of Roxas. Xion was very good at reading people, and she had come to this conclusion about the two incredibly similar boys: They both wanted each other, but were in serious denial and were merely entertaining thoughts of each other now because they thought it was thanks to the alcohol in their systems. But Xion hadn't missed the electric tension that was almost visible between the two of them, nor the way they would cast furtive glances at each other and lick their lips. They quite plainly wanted each other, and she had decided that she was going to help.

"Sora, if you lose another round, you have to play the pocky game with Roxas," she announced coolly, earning stares from two sets of round blue eyes. Although Roxas looked just as bewildered as Sora, he had a slightly mischievous smirk playing on his lips, whilst Sora just looked plain petrified.

Roxas snickered inwardly and looked at Sora's cards. "Don't worry, I'll save you," he murmured in Sora's ear, making the boy shudder with anticipation. He analysed the table and the cards that were already down, and then whispered instructions in Sora's ear. Being the gullible, trusting person that he was, Sora complied and placed down two cards. Zack looked at them, slapped his knees and hooted with amusement.

"Roxas, either you're _awful_ at this game or you did that on purpose!" the black haired man laughed, causing Roxas to flash him an angry, furtive glance. Zack caught the look and made a small 'oh' sound of realisation, and quickly corrected himself. "But then again, you're as naked as me and Sora, so I guess you _are_ awful!"

Xion was waving a chocolate pocky in their faces. "Get to it then boys," she giggled, smiling sweetly as if she was completely innocent.

"I hate you Xion," Sora muttered, taking the stick and placing the chocolate covered end in his mouth. He turned to Roxas, who gave him one of the sexiest grins he had seen the boy make, and took the other end in his teeth, eyes locked on him and that grin still tugging at the corners of his mouth. And then Roxas took Sora completely by surprise; as they started to munch their way to the middle, Roxas reached up and placed his hand on the back of Sora's head, guiding him to eat faster as the blonde matched the pace. Sora realised with a pang of excitement and terror that they were going to reach the middle at the same time, and shut his eyes as they finished the treat and their lips connected.

This time, there was no hesitancy on Roxas's part. His hand curled into a fist in Sora's hair, holding him still as he pressed his bare chest against Sora's, kissing the brunette hard and pushing insistently for entrance. Sora had been dominated already that evening by Cloud however, and when he realised Roxas's intentions, he returned the pressure with equal fire, not prepared to submit the slim blonde. Roxas growled as the poker participants looked on in amusement and interest, and nipped Sora's lower lip sharply, provoking a gasp from the boy. Roxas took this opportunity and pushed his tongue roughly in Sora's mouth, groaning with satisfaction as he felt Sora's tongue meet his, and they started a battle for dominance. Sora's hands had wrapped around Roxas's neck, and he was making whimpering sounds of need as they kissed angrily, occasionally biting each others lips.

When Xion called for them to stop so that they could continue with the game, nobody had won the battle for control. They pulled away, panting harshly, faces flushed from lack of oxygen, and Roxas grinned wickedly. Sora returned the grin, not caring about his apprehensions at the moment, not caring if Roxas had only kissed him in the heat of the moment. It had been fantastic, a complete head rush, and that was all that mattered to him right now. He felt like he was floating, like he was on a drug high, and it was going to take him a while to come down.

They continued playing the game with a lot more sexual tension between them. Roxas kept brushing his leg against Sora's and sending him cheeky grins, and every time he leaned over to help Sora play their arms brushed together and Sora caught whiffs of Roxas's aftershave. The boy was intoxicating and addictive, and Sora couldn't wait for the game to end so he could drag him into the bathroom and settle that battle for dominance.

The game ended around two hours after it had started; Rude had won in the end, having only removed one item of clothing, his tie. Nobody seemed to mind though, and Axel certainly didn't seem bothered when Xion had kissed him drunkenly and dragged him away into her room. Reno and Rude watched them go with big grins.

"Those two have fancied each other since the dawn of time, yo," Reno said, laughing as Axel gave him an excited thumbs up before shutting the door. Sora and Roxas chuckled and started to pull their clothes back on, remembering that there were still people who were fully clothed and that Marluxia was ogling them like a perv at a strip club.

They rejoined with Roxas's band mates and Kairi, Olette, and Naminé, and they all crowded in Kairi's room just lounging on the chairs and bed, drinking and exchanging conversation. Roxas lay on one of the couches with Cloud, and Sora sat on the floor, leaning against the said couch. About ten minutes into the conversation, he realised that Roxas was combing his fingers through Sora's hair, leaving delicious goosebumps on the back of his neck and causing Sora to quiver with excitement. Nobody else noticed this as the conversation continued, but the two boys could feel the tension in their stomachs mounting higher and higher. When Roxas's hand drifted to Sora's shoulder and started to trace circles over the skin exposed by the loose collar of the brunette's shirt, Sora lifted one hand and caught Roxas's exploring one in his fingers, surreptitiously weaving their fingers together. He heard Roxas give a very quiet, almost inaudible gasp, and grinned, knowing that he too had power over Roxas's emotions, and that it wasn't just him that felt like he was about to collapse in a pile of excited goo at Roxas's every touch.

Eventually, people started to drift into corners to sleep. Kairi and Riku curled up in her bed whilst Olette and Naminé took the couch which folded out into a bed. Other people grabbed sleeping bags from the loft and found couches and comfortable bits of floor to sleep on. Sora and Roxas didn't speak as they unzipped one sleeping bag and laid it down on the linoleum in the main living area, before unzipping another to act as a cover. They said nothing as they undressed and pulled on the tracksuit bottoms they had brought with them, and were silent as they lay down together on their makeshift bed and stared at the ceiling.

When it seemed like everyone in the flat was silent and had gone to sleep, Sora turned on his side to face Roxas, finding that the blonde had done the same.

"I don't understand these feelings," Roxas murmured as he brought up a hand to trace Sora's cheek, his cerulean eyes glassy in the darkness. "I just feel so drawn to you, Sora."

Sora didn't reply as he replayed these words over and over in his mind. "I don't get it either," he finally said, their foreheads pressed together and their hands trailing gently over each others torsos, exploring lazily. "But it feels good, and I don't want it to stop."

Roxas nodded, making an agreeing sound in the back of his throat. "Kiss me again."

Sora happily complied, catching Roxas's lips with his own in a kiss that held no hesitancy this time, quickly opening his mouth in his eagerness to resume their fight for control. Roxas groaned into his mouth as Sora forced his tongue past the blonde's lips, tracing the line of his teeth and stroking the soft upper palate, before Roxas's tongue retaliated and tried to force them out of the blonde's mouth and into the brunette's.

It seemed like Roxas was winning for a moment, until Sora grabbed Roxas's shoulders and rolled, landing on top of the leaner blonde and deepening the kiss with the assistance of gravity, plunging his tongue into Roxas's mouth insistently and grasping the blonde's arms, pressing them firmly to the floor. Roxas moaned in frustration and Sora felt that tell-tale heat beginning to pool in his stomach as they grinded their hips and kissed more frantically, gasping for air every so often and making soft sounds of need.

But suddenly, something flipped in Sora's mind. It was as though all the alcohol in his system that had been giving him the Dutch courage he needed, had drained from his brain. He broke the kiss with a gasp and pulled back, looking down at Roxas with horror. The blonde looked up at him with glassy eyes, his blonde hair spread out over the floor like a golden halo, his cheeks pink and his lips parted as he panted softly.

"What is it, Sora?"

"I... can't do this!" Sora hissed, sitting up and rolling off of Roxas. "I mean... we're both _guys_, goddammit! I'm straight!"

Roxas sat up too, his face quickly morphing into one of no expression as he stared into the darkness. "You're right. This can't happen; it's just wrong."

Sora looked at him, frustration shining clearly in his cobalt eyes, which reflected the moon that shone through the window. "Let's forget this happened. We drank too much and we're emotionally stressed... that must be the reason..."

"Yeah," Roxas echoed hoarsely. He lay back down and turned away from Sora, putting an end to the conversation. "Night, Sora."

"Goodnight," Sora replied, lying back and staring at the ceiling once more, his eyes focusing on a small spider that was crawling across its web to a fly it had ensnared. He watched as the fly struggled helplessly, and the spider began to constrict it with fine silken threads which shone pink as they reflected the moonlight and the paint on the ceiling. Sora sighed, empathising with the fly. It felt like Roxas had taken a red string of fate and was wrapping it around him, trapping him in a web of lust. And even after what had just been said, Sora knew that he wanted more. He wanted to be devoured by Roxas. Even if it killed him eventually.

* * *

_Hmm, a little rushed at the end maybe, but hopefully you all liked it :) Sorry that I didn't reply to every review individually last week (of which there were 15 :D), I will try and reply to everyone this week. Lord knows I have the time to do it, being bedridden and all :P Many thanks for reading, please review!_


	9. Weightless

_Not such a long chapter this week, it's only 6,150 words long. I can't concentrate very well, I am suffering from insomnia and haven't slept since Sunday -.-  
Some actual PLOT development in this chapter :O You may like it, you may not. Either way, something big's gonna happen.  
The song this week is another All Time Low song, "Weightless"._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy VII. Boohoo.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Nine

Weightless

"I like comedy better than horror myself, do you like comedy Sora, I really like funny movies, they make me laugh and horror just gives me nightmares, but I have already seen most of these movies, I don't know, I really want to watch Superbad again but I really wanted to see something new today, this is hard, what do you think Sora, no put down Underworld, I do _not_ want to see a movie about vampires today, what do you think we should get Riku, just make sure you pick a comedy, I am in the mood for a comedy today…"

"Kairi, just shut up and pick a damn movie already," Sora muttered through clenched teeth. They had been stood in the video store for at least thirty minutes now, and Kairi wasn't any closer to choosing what she wanted to watch. Initially she had said she wanted to watch a romance, but none of the titles had been to her liking and her preferences had changed at least six times, from romance to drama, and then onto comedy, then back to romance, and so forth. Needless to say, Sora and Riku were the embodiment of twitching eyebrows and clenched fists.

Sora had awoken on the hard linoleum floor of Kairi and Xion's kitchen with a pounding headache and sore, swollen lips. It had taken him a few minutes to first of all realise where he was, secondly notice who he was sleeping next to, and thirdly remember his shenanigans of the previous night. He had rolled over with a groan, his back aching from the uncomfortable night's sleep, to come face to face with a gently snoozing Roxas. The singer's honey coloured hair fell softly in his face, which was uncharacteristically smooth and expressionless. Normally Roxas had a troubled or angst-ridden expression on his face, so it was interesting to see it in such a relaxed state.

Sora lay there for a few minutes, his eyes half-lidded, just enjoying the view. Roxas had a surprisingly feminine face. His eyebrows were narrow and arched sharply, as though they had been shaped professionally (they probably had been), and his golden lashes were very long as they rested on his cheekbones like dusty yellow feathers. His lips were a soft pink, and were pursed in a pout as he slept, bringing some youth to the face which was normally so serious and intense.

Sora churned over his feelings as he watched Roxas sleep. He had to admit, he was kicking himself for breaking the kiss off, but he was so confused by the emotions that were raging inside of him that he didn't want to think that his judgement had been clouded, should anything more have happened. He sensed that Roxas was in a similar predicament.

He really didn't know how he felt right now; his logic screamed at him to stop this silliness, but his heart practically ached with near yearning every time he was near Roxas, or thought of him. It wouldn't have been so bad if he had expressed a desire for men in the past, but this was a real first for him. He couldn't say at this point whether he was bisexual or if Roxas was just a strange anomaly.

He had resolved after thinking it over for a while that he would let it play out for now, but wouldn't actively seek intimate company with the singer. Sora had always been a firm believer in concepts such as destiny and soul mates – while he didn't know if his connection to Roxas was as strong as the red string of fate, he felt certain that any higher being that existed had intended for he and Roxas to meet. He just naturally gravitated towards Roxas; he was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Call it dramatic, but that was how he felt. And so he believed, that if they were really destined to be more intimate than friends, it would happen without him forcing it.

Everyone had eventually arisen and helped to clean up the apartment, drifting out in twos and threes to go home and pass out again. Roxas had left with his brother, saying that they were going to practice some guitar solos he had been having problems with in the studio because of his wrist. It was the first time that Sora had been separated from the blonde since he had met him two days ago (had it really only been two days?), and he felt distinctly lonely without Roxas at his side. They got on so well, and looked so alike, that it was hard to believe that they weren't twins, or brothers at the very least.

Kairi had suggested that they spend the day at Sora's. They all felt like lazing about with a movie and pizza, so they agreed and she, Riku and Sora had all bundled into Riku's camper van and headed over to sector six where Sora lived. Sector six was a fairly wealthy part of Midgar, with several mansions and nice, clean swept streets with picturesque cherry blossom trees that seemed unaffected by the heavy pollution that Midgar suffered from. However, it was also home to a lot of the nicer student apartments, as well as the penthouse suites such as the one Roxas inhabited.

And now, they found themselves in the video store, waiting for Kairi to choose a movie.

"I give her three more minutes and then I'm picking Pulp Fiction," Riku grumbled, picking through a rack of playstation games unenthusiastically as Kairi asked the poor desk clerk to check on their database for another movie. Sora rolled his eyes in agreement, staring dejectedly at the horror movie section.

Eventually, Kairi chose Romeo and Juliet, the one with Leonardo di Caprio, and they all got back in the camper van and headed over to Sora's.

Tidus had actually left the flat in a reasonable state for once, only leaving one dirty plate on the floor, and was curled up on a beanbag with a textbook on physiotherapy, looking unenthusiastic. When they had said they were going to watch a movie, he had gratefully put down the book and said he would join them. He looked exhausted; evidently his coach Wakka had put him through his paces at training yesterday, but he seemed happy enough. He had told Sora more than once that Blitzball was his calling, and he was willing to go through anything to reach the professional leagues. Sora believed he could do it too. He had seen Tidus play, and he was easily one of the best on the University team.

They ordered in some pizza and relaxed on the sofas and bean bags while they waited for the food to arrive, talking about the party, university and work. Sora grabbed his sketch book and a mechanical pencil from his bedroom and sketched aimlessly while they chatted, needing an outlet for a sudden burst of creative energy.

"I heard you got a new job, Riku," Tidus said as he channel hopped the muted television.

"Yeah, it's really good actually," Riku replied, his arm slung around Kairi who leaned into him happily, her eyes tired but warm and content. "I'm the personal assistant to a professor. He researches supernatural phenomena and needs someone to organize his life, because he'd probably be dead from starvation or neglect without one."

"What's his name?" Tidus asked, looking vaguely interested. Tidus had a relative curiosity for the paranormal – you could always catch him watching Most Haunted late at night and spooking himself out.

"Professor Ansem; he teaches at your university actually," Riku replied.

"The old dude with the blonde hair and big beard? Wears really kooky clothing?" Sora asked as he started to sketch out a manga character he had been working on recently, basing the pose on the way Tidus was slumped on his bean bag, occasionally glancing up as he drew a rough outline of the character.

"That's the one," Riku agreed, nuzzling the top of Kairi's head, as she started to drift off to sleep on his shoulder with a content smile. "I swear, if I wasn't there to remind him, he'd forget to go home at night."

"Your work sounds more fun than mine, Riku," Kairi mumbled sleepily, her eyes closed and her posture slumped. "Everyone just makes me get them coffee in the office."

"That's because you turn up late or hung over all the time and don't put any effort in," Sora said, poking his tongue out as he tried to capture the expression on the face of the manga character. "You're on the phone to Naminé most of the time, and when you actually do what they ask it's always half-assed."

Kairi opened her eyes, pouting irritably. "It's an in-between job; I don't want to work there forever. I didn't do my dental nursing course so that I could be stuck in a publishing office all my life."

"But if you don't put in some effort they will give you a bad reference when you apply for another job," Riku murmured into her hair, stroking her shoulders soothingly to show he meant no offense and was just offering some advice.

The doorbell rang then. "Whatever, the pizza is here so lets get started," Kairi grumbled.

* * *

"You missed the chord again."

"Goddammit Cloud, I know! Stop reminding me!" Roxas snapped irritably, signalling to Tifa to stop recording for the moment. He pulled the guitar strap over his head and rested the instrument in its stand, storming over to the bench to grab a can of soda. The drink hissed as he cracked it open and downed half of it in one go.

Cloud, who was sat on a stool with his acoustic guitar, sighed heavily and also placed his instrument in its stand. "I know this is frustrating. Perhaps we should just change the set so that you don't have to play."

Roxas gave him a cold, hard glare. It wasn't that he wanted to play; on the contrary, he wanted nothing more than to smash his guitar over its amp and never pick the damn instrument up again right now. He knew however, that an awful lots of their songs relied on him also playing an instrument of some sort, be it guitar, bass or piano. If they changed their set, they wouldn't have a lot of songs to choose from.

"This is one of the most important gigs we have ever played. I'm not going to be the reason we play a shit set," he growled, flexing his fingers and wincing as shooting pains wracked his fractured wrist. "Damn Seifer, I'll fucking kill him."

"Tifa, could you get another ice pack please?" Cloud called to the brunette in the recording booth, who waved to show she had heard and took off her headphones, disappearing downstairs. Roxas pulled some painkillers from his bag and knocked them back, uncaring that it had only been an hour since his last dose. He was in a foul mood, and not just because he couldn't play the guitar properly.

Every five minutes the memory of Sora's bare chest pressed against his would flit into his mind and completely catch him unawares, often causing him to hesitate and miss a note. He could remember every touch, every caress, and every kiss that they had shared from the previous night. His forearms tingled where Sora had pinned them to the floor as he had forced Roxas to submit, and his lips were still slightly swollen from the ministrations of the brunette.

_Damn, that idiot could kiss._

These memories weren't the reason for his foul mood however. The words that Sora had spoken as he broke the kiss were what was pissing him off so much.

"_This is wrong… we shouldn't do this…"_

Snarling, he kicked the trash can, causing it to fly against the wall with an echoing thud. Cloud rolled his eyes and walked over to his younger brother, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"You've got to calm down, Roxas," he said lowly, his royal blue eyes locked with Roxas's cerulean ones that blazed with anger. "I know this is about more than just the gig. Stop worrying about it and concentrate on your playing, else you're just going to get more frustrated."

"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you Cloud!" Roxas shouted, tearing out of his brother's grasp and stepping back, his proverbial hackles raised. "You have no idea how I am feeling right now, so just keep out of it!"

The next thing he knew, a fist was colliding sharply with his face. His head snapped to the side and he stumbled back, trying to catch his balance, wincing as fresh pain bloomed over his cheek. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You think I don't understand?" Cloud hissed, grabbing his brother's t-shirt and yanking him close so that their faces were inches apart. The older blonde's eyes were blazing, and had taken on that green tinge that always appeared when he was angry or upset. "If this is about Sora, I know better than anyone what you're going through! I've been crushing on the same girl since I was thirteen years old Roxas, and I _still _don't know if she likes me back or not!"

"You're not having a panic attack over your sexuality Cloud!" Roxas yelled back, grabbing Cloud's wrists and trying to pry them away from his shirt. "All my life I've thought I was straight, and then _he_ comes along and suddenly I'm bisexual?! You don't have a fucking _clue_ how that feels!"

"Getting angry about it is not the way to deal with it though, Roxas!" Cloud said exasperatedly, letting go of his brother and stepping back, running his hands through his hair in agitation. "Do you ever see me throwing a tantrum because Tifa hasn't clocked on that the rose she gets every year on Valentine's Day is from me? No, because I _deal with it_. You have some serious anger issues that need sorting out."

"I could quite easily cut you out of my life again Cloud, I don't need your fucking preaching," Roxas snarled, his hands balling into fists. "I did just fine without you, I can do it again."

Cloud snorted sarcastically. "Sure you did, you nearly got yourself fucking killed and ended up in hospital because of drug use more times than I like to think. You were a mess, Roxas. If you _dare_ go back to that lifestyle I swear to god I will not be there to bail you out next time you decide you've had enough."

"What's going on? Are you two fighting?" They whipped around to find Tifa stood in the doorway with an icepack in her hand. Marlene, a girl who lived with Tifa while her father was out of town working, was peeking around Tifa's hip, looking concerned.

"It's nothing," Cloud sighed, grabbing the ice pack and forcing Roxas to sit down, pressing the cold package against the blonde's wrist and eliciting an angry hiss. "We're just stressed about the gig."

"Right…" Tifa said, wearing the expression a mother does when a child says they haven't touched the chocolate despite the fact it is smeared all over their face.

"Cloud-san…" Marlene mumbled from behind her adoptive mother, blushing slightly and shifting her feet. "Can Denzel come to play again soon?"

Cloud flashed a smile for the little girl who was usually so confident and outspoken, except for when she was talking about her crush. Denzel was his officially adopted son, and was a couple of years older than Marlene. The two got on well and were smitten with each other in much the same way as Cloud and Tifa were.

"Of course, Marlene, he can come over tonight if you would like?"

The little girl beamed and nodded vigorously before rushing away downstairs, shouting something about drawing Denzel a picture.

"Ready to try again, Roxas?" Tifa asked as Cloud removed the ice pack and the youngest blonde flexed his fingers tentatively.

He sighed, trying to expel some of his irritableness. "Yeah, let's go again," he murmured, picking up his guitar and preparing to play.

* * *

"_Sin from my lips__? O trespass sweetly urged!_ _Give me_ _my sin_ _again."_

Kairi gasped as the two actors on the screen locked lips once more, her hands clasped together in front of her and her eyes wide in wonderment and envy. Riku appeared mildly interested, interested more in the poetry than the romance, but Sora and Tidus just looked plain bored. It wasn't that they didn't enjoy a good Shakespeare classic, but they really weren't in the mood for it today.

"I'm going to get started that essay," Tidus mumbled, grabbing his textbook and slouching off into his room.

"I think I'll work on my painting that's due in on Friday," Sora said, going to his room and grabbing his oil paints before coming back into the living room where his half-finished canvas sat on the easel next to the kitchen. At Kairi's protests, he reassured her that he would still watch the movie as he worked, which seemed to be good enough for her because she turned her wide eyes back to the movie.

He bit his lip as he set up his paints, wondering what part of the picture to work on next. The topic had been 'Dreams', and he had immediately come up with a swirling mass of greens, blues and yellows that formed vague images of supernatural creatures when you looked closely, and from afar took on the appearance of a sleeping person's face. He had sketched it primarily in pencil, but since the obligatory medium was oil paints, he was now painstakingly filling the lines in. He had started in the top right hand corner and was slowly working his way down, but he wasn't sure whether to start colouring the unicorn or the nine-tails fox now.

He chewed on his paintbrush, eyes flicking to the movie every now and then, trying to decide, when his cell phone rang. He stepped into his bedroom and shut the door before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"_Hi there sweetie!"_

He rolled his eyes. That voice could only belong to one person. "Hi Mom."

His mother was an extremely eccentric woman, much like himself, and was fiercely protective over her children despite the fact that both he and Squall had left home several years ago. They still came back to Destiny Islands for such things as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but generally they avoided their mother because while she was the kindest, loveliest person on the planet, she was a little overbearing even for her own family.

"_Darling sweetie-pie, how have you been?! Are you ready for your birthday tomorrow?"_

"Yeah Mom, I'm going out to a club with a friend. It's his birthday too," he replied, wondering where she was taking this conversation. His mother only called when she wanted to ask a favour, or was going to ask him to do something he probably wouldn't want to.

"_Oh how wonderful dear! You know I would LOVE to have you over for dinner to celebrate, why don't you come round on Tuesday? Bring your darling friend too, I would love to meet him! I'll call Squall as well!"_

"Um, really? Are you sure?" He quite liked the idea of coming over to see her, as he hadn't seen her since Christmas, and that had been four months ago.

"_I'm positive Sora-wora!__"_ He winced at the awful pet name that had stuck with him since birth. _"I never get to see you since you moved to that big dirty city… your father misses you too."_

"He's got a funny way of showing it," Sora muttered. His father was an overbearing business man who couldn't understand why Sora was pursuing such a risky career as art, when he had a place ready for him in the family business of boat building. Every time Sora came home, his father would berate him and tell him to give up on his silly dreams of becoming a manga artist. The only consolation was that Squall got the same treatment, because he had run off to Midgar and now pursued various odd jobs, or so he said. Sora had the feeling though that Squall mixed with the wrong crowd, although his girlfriend Rinoa was very nice.

"_Sora Leonheart, your father thinks the world of you! He just thinks you could do so much more with your life…"_

"Yeah, well can you make sure that he keeps his opinions away from the dinner table if Roxas comes over? And we'll have to stay over if we do come, you know, it's too far to go back to Midgar late at night from the Islands."

"_Not a problem, you can stay in the East Wing and have that side of the house to yourselves dear! I know you love to have sleepovers!"_

"Yeah Mom, when I was like six."

"_It doesn't feel that long ago to me,"_ she huffed. Uh-oh, she was going to get sentimental. _"I can't believe you're turning twenty tomorrow… my sons are growing up so fast… next thing I know, Squall will marry that little angel Rinoa and they'll have children and… OH MY GOD I'LL BE A GRANDMOTHER!!!"_

"Mom, I don't think that that will be happening any time soon," Sora assured her. The last he had heard from Squall, he definitely _never_ wanted kids. He couldn't stand them. "Anyway, I've got Riku and Kairi over and I'm doing some coursework, so I'll call you once I have asked Roxas about Tuesday, okay?"

He hung up the phone whilst she was still gurgling about how being a grandmother would mean she was old. Even a five minute phone conversation with the woman was exhausting, let alone a whole evening. Maybe he and Roxas could go down to the beach to escape his parents for a while. That is, if Roxas wanted to come after the way Sora had reacted last night.

He decided to send the blonde a quick text message, the better to get it over with. He kept it light-hearted and friendly so as not to seem awkward, because he really did want to stay friends with Roxas. He then connect his charger and left the phone on the nightstand, before heading back out to the living room, where by this point Kairi was sobbing hysterically as Mercutio cried _"A plague on both your houses!" _and Riku was trying to console her, saying it was only a film.

Sora started painting the nine-tails fox in his picture, a frown on his face. He hated working with oil paint, it was tedious and required a lot of concentration. He much preferred watercolours and pastels, but his course required that he cover all mediums of art. He really wanted to carry on with his manga project, but the painting had to come first because it was due in on Friday. He didn't mind the actual task, but the medium required made the assignment tedious.

* * *

Roxas slammed out the last few chords of the song, sweating profusely as his hand throbbed in a near unbearable fashion. Tifa clapped excitedly in the recording booth and Cloud gave Roxas a brief nod as the younger removed his guitar and sat down quickly, black spots appearing in his vision from the excruciating pain that was now wracking his wrist.

"This fucking hurts… but at least I nailed it," Roxas gasped, sticking his hand in the bucket of ice Tifa had wisely provided. He sighed in relief as the pain was immediately numbed somewhat, releasing the tension he was unconsciously holding in his forearm. Cramps were throbbing through his muscles, but he didn't care because he had managed to play the equivalent of an entire set without making a mistake.

Cloud looked exhausted but pleased as he put the instruments away. "After tomorrow there is no way I'm letting you touch a guitar again until you are fully healed," he said, nodding bashfully at Tifa as she walked in holding a disc with all the recordings burned onto it. Her eyes were red and swollen from staring at the controls for so long.

"Is someone's phone ringing?" she asked. Roxas realised that his back pocket was buzzing slightly and reached behind with his good hand to retrieve his cell.

"It's me," he said, sliding open the phone to find a text message from Sora waiting to be read.

**Hey Roxy!! Hope practice went well :) My 'rents have invited you and me over for a birthday meal Tue evening, you up for it? We'd have to stay the night though, if that's okay with you :)**** Text back, Sora x**

Roxas grinned as he began to awkwardly type a message with one hand whilst the other remained in the ice bucket. He felt some of the knots in his stomach unravel slightly as a wave of relief washed over him. He had been so sure that Sora was annoyed at him for their activities the night before, so to read such a cheerful message from him was heart warming and relieving.

**Hi Sora, that sounds wicked, say thanks to your folks for me! I'd love to come, book my bed now ****lol! I'll call you tomorrow about gig and after party k? Roxas x**

He pressed the send button and sat back with a happy sigh, catching Cloud's eye and returning his brother's brief smile with one of his own. Warmth was curling in the pit of his stomach, surrounding his organs and washing a wonderful feeling of contentment that he hadn't felt in a long time over his tired, beaten body. He didn't even mind when Marlene pounced on him and asked him to look at her drawings for Denzel, cooing in all the right places as he thought of Sora and just how lucky he was to have met him.

Cloud rescued him from the little girl's clutches eventually by suggesting that he take her along for a ride because he was going to pick Denzel up from a friend's house. Although Marlene was a girly girl who liked ponies and barbies, she was also obsessed with Cloud's bike, and so she promptly let go of Roxas and skipped downstairs with Cloud who was smiling warmly.

Roxas allowed Tifa to help him carry his things down the two flights of stairs and out to his car which had a thin layer of snow resting over it like cotton wool. As Cloud sped off with Marlene squealing excitedly on the back of the monster machine, Roxas bade Tifa goodnight and slipped into his car. He flipped the heating up to full and pulled out of the parking lot behind Seventh Heaven, driving slower than usual because he didn't have Sora working the transmission for him. It was dark now, him having spent all day in the recording studio with Cloud and Tifa, and Midgar was a sea of warm yellow lights and brightly lit neon signs which whirled past his windows in a multicoloured blur. Some people were out walking their dogs, waiting patiently whilst their animals marked their territory on lamp posts and fire hydrants, their coats pulled tightly around them as snow fell like sugar icing.

Roxas was so preoccupied with keeping the vehicle in control that he did not notice the sleek black sports car which pulled out of a side street as he passed. It stayed several cars behind him, keeping it's distance, but if he had been paying attention it would have been clear to him that he was being tailed as he drove down seldom used streets in an effort to get home quicker, and the car followed. When Roxas pulled into the private car park of his apartment block, the black car cut it's lights and slowed to a stop on the curb out front.

Roxas cut his engine and began fiddling around with his various in-car gadgets, turning them off and stowing them in the glove compartment, or putting things in his bag. It was only when he went to look at himself in the rear view mirror that he noticed the black shapes looming towards his car in the badly lit parking lot. Panicking, he unbuckled his seat belt as fast as he could and scrambled out the car.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice surprisingly even and confident, though he didn't feel that way. There was only one light in the car park and it was over the far side next to the building's fire escape, so he couldn't make out the faces of the two people who had approached him. All he knew was that they were taller than him, and that was a bad sign.

One of them chuckled darkly. "Think you're pretty tough don't you, pretty boy?"

"He likes to act like the big man but I seem to remember him squealing like a bitch when Seifer kicked his ass," the other person laughed. They were closing in on him fast, and though he was quick on his feet, he wasn't fast enough to escape them as they grabbed his arms and shoved him against the hood of his car, pinning him down.

"Did Seifer send you?" he growled as he tried to wrestle out of his grip, but they were much stronger than him, and he was too exhausted to muster the strength to fight properly. His heart was pounding in his ears and he felt sick.

"Yeah, and he asked us to deliver you a message. If you know what's good for you, you'll get out of town while you can, you stinking slutbag," the first man hissed, grabbing Roxas roughly by the hair. Roxas's stomach dropped as he heard the sound of a zipper being drawn.

"What are you going to do?" he croaked, his voice breaking slightly. He acted tough but right now he was terrified, a cold sweat coating his skin and his lips quivering in horror.

"We're going to give you what a slut deserves to get, Strife," the second man growled. "Try not to enjoy it _too_ much, whore." He was pulled further down the hood and then pushed to the floor, his back to the grill of the car and his arms pinned either side of him.

Roxas started to writhe in panic. "Look, can't we t-talk about this?" he mumbled shakily, and the hand in his hair tightened considerably, ripping some strands out.

"It's too late for negotiations, fag bucket. Now, open wide..."

Roxas almost vomited when he felt something hard, pulsing and slick press against his cheek. He kept his jaw clamped firmly shut, shaking but glaring defiantly at the shadowed faces of the two men. But then someone pinched his nose, cutting off his air supply.

"I said _open wide,_ Strife," the first man growled. Roxas was trying to hold his breath but he had always been useless at that sort of thing, and his broken ribs were making it so much harder. Knowing he was going to hate what happened next, his opened his mouth and took a gasping breath.

The hard pulsing something shoved roughly past his lips and he tasted salty fluid, just as the hand in his hair shoved his head forward. As his forehead met with someone's stomach, the long hard thing reached the back of his throat and he fought not to gag. Thankfully the person who had been pinching his nose let go and he panted shakily through flared nostrils, unable to contain his whimpers of terror and disgust.

"Shut up you little bitch and take what you deserve," someone growled, and then the man was thrusting roughly into his mouth, smacking his tonsils repeatedly and causing uncontrollable to tears to start streaming down his face. To his credit he didn't gag, though how he managed he never knew. His insides were freezing over with panic and shock, his stomach was churning and his entire body was trembling.

"God he's such a little whore! Look at him, he's not even choking!" someone laughed maliciously, and then a hand was pinching his jaw on either side to force him to open wider. His breathing was turning asthmatic and his fists were clenching and unclenching as his vision started to fog over, the tears running down his cheeks. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and die right now, anything was better than this, he'd take playing a guitar with a broken wrist over this any day.

The only thing he could do was repeat the mantra _Please let this be the only thing they want_, over and over again in his mind as he fought against a looming panic attack and the hard shaft in his mouth abused the back of his throat consistently.

"He's got a tight little whore's mouth as well," the man above him grunted, his voice sounding strained. Roxas latched onto the tone of voice, hoping it would be over soon. Trembling, he sat still as the man pounded into his mouth a few more times, and then Roxas let out a strangled moan as something hot and wet hit the back of his throat.

The thing (he didn't want to acknowledge what he knew it was) slid out of his mouth and the sound of a fly being done up met his ears. Suddenly, the hands holding him down were gone and he fell forward, heaving as he threw up the musky liquid in his throat and gasping raggedly. Someone swung a fist across his face for good measure.

"Let that be a warning to you," someone said and the sound of fading footsteps could be heard, crunching the gravel of the parking lot. "Be grateful, we could have done a whole lot worse to you..."

Roxas didn't move as he heard the sound of an engine starting up and then wheels crackling as they drove over the snow, and then the engine revved loudly as the vehicle sped off down the road, it's lights coming on and throwing the street into sharp focus. He waited until he couldn't hear the loud sports engine anymore before turning to the side and vomiting again, heavily.

_I can't believe that just happened... _he thought numbly as he tried to get rid of the horrible salty taste in his mouth. _How did I not notice them following me?!_ He sat there for a few more minutes, shaking uncontrollably as tears continued to trip over his cheeks, hunching in on himself and wrapping his arms around his knees.

He found the strength to stand eventually. He wordlessly grabbed his things from his car and locked it, wishing he had just locked himself in rather than getting out and confronting him. The retching taste was still in his mouth as he entered the building, receiving a concerned look from the guard.

"You okay there son?" he asked as the boy scanned his fingerprints in for entrance.

"I'm fine, just not feeling very well," Roxas croaked miserably, pulling the door open as soon as the green light flashed and trudging up to his apartment. He kicked his shoes off at the door and dumped his stuff in the hallway, before running to the bathroom to throw up again.

_Holy fuck... what am I going to do?! I'm in such deep shit..._ he thought as he brushed his teeth furiously. His tears had stopped, but there were deep purple finger shaped bruises on his jaw where his mouth had been forced open and his skin had a green tinge to it.

He did the first thing which came to mind and had a shower, trying to rid the horrid, dirty feeling from himself. He had no such luck, although the pounding water helped to calm his frayed nerves. _I need to tell someone... but who?_

He numbly grabbed his phone as he towelled himself off, pressing a few digits and then the call button.

"Sora? C-can you come over? I need to tell you a few things..."

* * *

_Oh my god I am such a cruel person. Please don't hate me T.T So yeah, reviews perlease :D Can we beat the seventeen I had for chapter eight?? We're so close to 100 reviews guys, just a little further! ^^ Thank you all so much for your support!_


	10. Dirty Little Secret

_Hi all! Thank you SO much for helping me break the 100 review milestone! I am very proud of you all ^^ So I decided to update half a day early as a treat for you all!  
Song: Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects... not quite a 'Roxas song', but its fitting._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy VII.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Ten

Dirty Little Secret

Water plinked on the white tiles in the whiter kitchen as the slight blonde dressed only in his jeans marched back and forth in a pacing pattern. He hadn't even bothered to dry himself after his shower; it had been a struggle just to cover his modesty, his fingers had been fumbling so badly with the zipper and buttons of the denim pants. Every now and then, as his pacing continued, the boy let out a frustrated sigh and would check the clock on the wall.

What was taking Sora so long? He only lived around the corner from Roxas, but twenty minutes had passed and he still wasn't there. All kinds of terrible images were rushing through Roxas's mind like a stampede; what if Seifer's men had come back and Sora was in some kind of trouble now, out on the street with nobody to help him? He shuddered and rubbed his damp arms as he recalled for the millionth time the sickening feeling of having something hard and hot thrust into his mouth against his will, whilst his arms were held out straight to his sides and pinned to the grill of his car by large, calloused hands. His stomach lurched threateningly, and not for the first time that night the hairs on his arms raised to stiff attention like iron filings following a magnet.

Roxas was literally on the verge of picking his cell up off the white marble kitchen counter where it lay on charge, in order to call Sora to enquire as to his whereabouts, when the buzzer to his apartment sounded. He had to restrain himself from lurching into a frantic, panicked run as he made his way to his front door where the expensive looking door buzzer was flashing and sounding off. His thin hand trembled as it latched onto the white receiver and unhooked it from the cradle, bringing it up to his multiply pierced ear.

"Roxas Strife." He was amazed at himself for managing to sound so calm and steady. Relief snaked around his heart and squeezed it reassuringly to keep it pumping when the familiar, jaunty voice sounded in his ear.

"Roxas? Can you buzz me in?" Sora's voice was even and reassuring, if sounding a little concerned.

"Sure, come on up," the blonde replied, pressing his thumb over the button that would unlock the door downstairs before replacing the receiver. He ran his hand through his dripping locks that were already drying in their accustomed spiky mess, and resumed his pacing in the entrance hall, waiting anxiously for Sora to climb the stairs up to the third floor and find his apartment.

He quickly ran over in his mind what he had called Sora over for. As much as he needed a shoulder to lean on and a sympathetic ear after basically being sexually assaulted, he felt the need to... explain a few things to the brunette. When the art student had invited Roxas to his parent's house for their birthday earlier that day, Roxas had made up his mind to allow his feelings to call the shots on his relationship with Sora. But if he was going to allow something to happen, he had to make sure that if Sora reciprocated those feelings (not that Roxas had any idea if he would), that he was not in the dark about who Roxas really was. It was going to be a long, difficult night, and he had every certainty that there was a ninety percent chance that the brunette would leave the apartment and never come back after hearing what Roxas had to say.

Why he felt compelled to say it now, he guessed was because of what had just happened in the car park outside the apartment. He really was in some deep shit. Seifer truly had it in for him, and had chosen this moment in time to let his hatred be shown. Seifer was no small-time thug looking for kicks in the big city; when he wanted something he usually got it. And right now, he wanted Roxas out of town. And if Roxas didn't comply, he might as well say goodbye to singing, to playing his guitar, to the band... to Sora... he would be dead and six feet under before he'd even had a chance to write a farewell note.

He was startled from his brooding by three sharp raps at the door as knuckles connected with the highly polished wood, followed by Sora's voice calling his name indistinctly through the barrier that separated them. That voice both calmed the raging panic in Roxas and intensified it at the same time. He wanted to both run to that boy and press himself against him, and also flee from Sora and never see him again. His feelings, though slightly less alien to him now that he was acknowledging them rather than trying to push them away, were fragile and uncertain and most definitely terrifying. He wanted Sora so badly. He wanted to cup the other boy's face in his hands and sweep his thumbs over the soft, tanned skin of his cheeks, he wanted to press his forehead to Sora's and gaze into those endless blue oceans he had for eyes. He wanted to press his body flush against the other boy's, feel their hearts beating as one as their breaths intermingled like indistinct dreams. And those wants (no, _needs_) frightened him. They scared him fucking shitless, to put it bluntly.

He crossed the hallway, hearing the _pitter patter_ of water droplets falling from his torso into the soft white carpet, and enclosed his hand around the handle to his door. It was now or never.

Resisting the urge to wrench the door open dramatically, Roxas turned the handle and pulled gently on the door. It swung open on well-oiled hinges to reveal the object of his desires and fears, wearing a pair of baggy black jeans and a black hoody. Roxas had never seen Sora in black. The brunette usually chose light khakis and royal blues, to reflect his playful nature. But this was something else. Black changed Sora from the cute boy next door into a tall, slender but well muscled brunette bombshell. His eyes, which were startling enough on their own, were made _even bluer_ by the dark, opaque colour, and his skin went from just being brown to being sexy, tanned surf skin. Roxas had to remind himself to breathe.

Those sweet, inquiring eyes were filled with concern, but a spark of interest flashed in them when they took in the sight of a half naked and dripping wet Roxas, a sight that Sora could never get enough of, no matter how much he denied it and/or had to fight against epic nosebleeds. Roxas was definitely slimmer than Sora, his muscles were less defined and his ribs showed a little bit under his paler, bruised skin, but his stomach was flat and planed and the diagonal lines of his well pronounced hips that led a teasing trail under his waistline were nothing short of the damn hottest thing Sora had ever laid eyes on. None of the girls he had ever slept with, or even just entertained fantasies about, compared to this boy.

"You wanna come in?" Roxas asked, trying to keep his tone light and his smirk casual, but it turned into more of a pressed grimace than anything else. Sora nodded and stepped over the threshold, kicking his trainers off and placing them carefully in the wicker shoe basket by the door. He closed the door behind him, and when Roxas turned and walked into the large living room, he followed, not asking questions.

Roxas came to a stop in the centre of the room, underneath the large halogen light which illuminated the room in all of its stark whiteness. The light cast shadows over his pale skin as he turned to face Sora, the bags under his eyes becoming more pronounced, and he ran his hand through his dripping hair again with a sigh. Sora noticed for the first time that there were angry bruises on Roxas's cheeks and jaw that looked suspiciously like finger marks.

"Roxas?" he began as he took in the saddened, almost lost expression of the slighter boy. "What's wrong? You said you had something to tell me?"

The ridiculously blue cerulean orbs fringed thickly with gold that had been downcast, now flicked upwards to meet Sora's gaze. His sandy eyebrows drew together and arched upwards in the centre of his forehead, as a watery film coated his eyes and he bit his lip.

"Yeah, there are some things you need to know, Sora." The blonde shivered suddenly and rubbed his arms, which Sora noticed were looking a little too thin and bony. Was Roxas eating? Sora couldn't recall seeing the blonde eat more than a few mouthfuls in the two days they had spent together. His gaze became even more concerned.

"Let's get you a shirt first," he said gently, and Roxas nodded as he shivered again whilst allowing himself to be led into the bedroom with the blood red bed. Sora opened the large wardrobe and rifled through the clothes, picking out a white t-shirt with long black sleeves. "Arms up," he instructed. Feeling like a kid, Roxas extended his thin arms in front of him, and Sora guided them into the shirt sleeves before pulling the clothing over Roxas's head. Warmth covered Roxas's still slightly damp skin and he sighed appreciatively.

"Now, what is it you want to tell me?" Sora asked, sitting down on the king sized bed and patting the space next to him. Roxas joined him, keeping a slight distance between them as he took a few steadying breaths.

"You know Seifer, who beat us up?" he asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth a little quicker than he had intended. A short pause followed and then Sora nodded, frowning. Roxas took another deep breath, his eyes flicking around the room as he tried to think of how to phrase what was coming next. "Well... just now, there was another... incident."

"Is that what these are from?" Sora asked, his voice trembling slightly with a lower tenor than usual. His fingers reached out and lightly touched the bruises on Roxas's face, but the blonde flinched away from the gesture, looking like a cornered wolf. "What happened?" Sora's facial expression had darkened and his royal blue orbs were blazing with hatred for the man that seemed intent on making their lives miserable. "What did that bastard _do _to you, Roxas?"

Golden lashes swept down in a graceful arc as Roxas looked down again, this time at his hands resting limply in his lap. When he didn't answer, Sora persisted. "I've never seen you like this, Roxas. You're jumpy and seem almost... frightened. And you're really, really pale."

Roxas continued to stare into his hands as he opened his mouth to speak, unable to look the brunette in the eye. "I was f-followed home," he replied, his speech stuttering for the first, and not the last time. "I didn't notice them until I had parked my car. I sh-should have stayed in the vehicle and locked the doors but I got... c-cocky, I g-guess."

Sora watched the blonde's face as Roxas struggled to articulate the events, resting his weight on his arm, hand firmly planted into the red bedspread. He said nothing as the singer took a shuddering breath and clenched his fists, recomposing himself when his voice faltered too much.

"I got out of the car and..." A choked sob suddenly tried to escape from Roxas's throat, but he tried to hold it back so he ended up making a strangled noise. He cleared his throat, his lips trembling. "They were s-so much _bigger_ than me... I couldn't do _anything_."

"Did they...? Oh god, Roxas," Sora suddenly said, as the reason dawned on him as to why Roxas was such a mess. Being beaten up wouldn't do this to him, it would have had to be something much, _much_ worse. "R-Roxas," he said again, grabbing the boy's hands and cupping them in his own, larger ones. "They... did they _rape_ you?"

Words could not describe the relief that crashed down on him when Roxas shook his head and murmured a quiet "No." He raised one hand to his chest and placed it over his heart, feeling it thud against his chest, and breathed out a deep sigh of reprieve.

"Thank goodness... but then, what happened?"

Roxas fidgeted. "You were on the right track," he continued in a mumbling breath, closing his eyes and sucking air in through clenched teeth, the sound jilted as his lips trembled and distorted the breath. He turned his face to look at Sora, not quite meeting his eyes, but allowing the brunette to get a better look at his new bruises.

It dawned on Sora then, what had happened. He brought the hand that had been on his chest up to his mouth, cupping it as if to muffle a sound. He was so horrified by the realisation (which he couldn't even articulate properly in his mind, it was too disgusting), that he felt nauseated and ill. No wonder Roxas's skin looked almost green.

"But I didn't ask you to come over so I could get a sympathetic ear," Roxas suddenly bit out, his voice sounding steadier, more resolute. "Those guys left a message along with their... actions. Basically, Seifer wants me out of town." He finally met Sora's eyes then, his own hardened with determination. "And you need to know why."

* * *

"I suppose that I will have to tell you a bit of my back story first," the blonde said, fumbling with the sheets of the bed. They had scooted further up and were now resting their backs against propped up pillows, their legs stretched out over the crimson bedspread. "But I have to tell you now," he continued, pausing for a moment to make sure he had Sora's full attention, "If you never want to talk to me again after this, I will understand."

"What are you talking about?" Sora blurted out, leaning in slightly as he retorted to the blonde's statement, but Roxas flinched away again in that frightened, animalistic way. "Why would I not want-?"

"Just hear me out. You'll see what I mean," Roxas cut in, his lips formed in a grim line. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night, in a similar way to which a yoga performer draws their mind into a calmer, more meditative state. Clearly, he was psyching himself up for something.

"I guess... things started when I was fifteen years old. I ran away from home, and cut all ties with my family. Even Cloud and Zack, and they were my best friends. I was just... so sick of everyone trying to control me. My father... he wanted me to go to law school. Make something of myself." He scoffed and ran his fingers through tousled honey locks, his gaze directed at the ceiling. "All I wanted to do was play guitar and sing, but they didn't see it my way.

"So I ran away, and joined a band. Started sleeping rough on the streets. At first, I told the band that I was eighteen and lived with a girlfriend... but then they found out how old I was. They didn't get angry, but they warned me that I was going to have to find some place to stay else they would kick me out of the band."

Sora listened, his eyes wide. He had always had the feeling that when the mystery of Roxas's past was revealed, it wouldn't be pleasant or happy. But he hadn't expected it be quite so extreme. "You were fifteen?" he breathed. When he was that age the worst thing he had to worry about was whether or not the Chinese girl in his class Mulan liked him or not. Roxas had been out on the streets of Midgar, scrounging for food with nothing to his name but a guitar. But apparently, worse was to come in Roxas's tale.

"I started looking for a job, but nobody wants to employ a runaway fifteen year old. Even when I lied about my age and gave the address of one of my friends, they somehow always found out... I was getting desperate." Roxas drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, his head still tilted back against the headboard as he regarded the ceiling. He licked his lips and frowned as memories came back to him, memories he was ashamed of and would rather forget.

"One night, a girl came up to me on the street. She offered me thirty dollars to fuck her down some alleyway." He gave a bitter, choking laugh. "I was so fucking hungry and cold, I didn't even think about it. I lost my virginity for thirty freaking bucks."

Sora's mouth had fallen open and he was openly staring at Roxas now. The blonde still wasn't looking at him as he stared at the smooth plaster of the ceiling, his expression troubled and his eyes sad as they were shaded by golden bangs that were slowly drying. He cast a quick glance to the side and gave another dry chuckle.

"You haven't heard anything yet."

There was _more_? Sora wasn't so sure about this anymore, and he was starting to understand what Roxas had said about scaring him off. The blonde braced himself and then dipped back into his monologue, his voice still strong and firm.

"After that, I just kind of fell into the whole money for sex thing. Girls were willing to pay for it, and sometimes they paid a _lot_. A lot of my regulars were rich, bored and looking for some fun. I managed to get myself an apartment and bought loads of crap to fill the void between work and band practice.

"Most of the girls were older, in their twenties. I guess they just got off on the idea of screwing a teenager. I had a lot more piercings back then too. They probably liked that even more. But then the real shit started."

"I don't know if I want to hear this," Sora murmured. Roxas looked at him properly, his eyes glistening with sad agreement.

"Just hear me out until the end, please. Then you can leave me and never look back. It's really okay if you do. I wouldn't want to be around me either."

Sora nodded, not agreeing with the last statement but with the request to keep listening. He fidgeted slightly, waiting for Roxas to continue.

"You want a coffee?" Roxas suddenly said, taking the brunette completely by surprise. "It's just, you might be here a while."

Sora shook his head. "It's nearly midnight; I don't think caffeine is such a good idea." His voice was more clipped than he had intended, and he saw Roxas droop a little more. "But a soda would be great," he continued, flashing a tired smile at the sad boy who suddenly seemed a lot younger than twenty years old. Roxas looked... vulnerable.

The blonde nodded and got off the bed, leaving Sora alone with his thoughts for a few moments. The brunette let out a shaky breath, welcoming the brief moment of privacy. He hadn't wanted Roxas to see, afraid that it would upset the blonde more, but he was actually still feeling quite ill, and the story was only making it worse. The idea that Roxas had basically prostituted himself when he was so young was horrifying... stomach-churning. He felt terrible, guilty that he wanted nothing more right now than to bolt out of the door and never look back, to disentangle himself from the web Roxas had ensnared him in and cut all ties with the blonde. If this was just the tip of the iceberg, then what other horrors were in store for him when Roxas returned with his drink?

He didn't have time to brood on it further though, because Roxas walked back in, holding a can of Mountain Dew. He handed it to the brunette and sat down at the foot of the bed, lying back to regard the ceiling once more, as if asking it for answers. When it offered none, he looked at Sora, who had opened the can but wasn't drinking from it.

"Ready for me to continue?"

_No_.

Sora nodded, his fingers tightening around the cold can covered in condensation. Roxas tucked one arm behind his own head and trailed the other down his torso. It came to rest on his stomach, which was slightly exposed as his shirt had ridden up. His fingers danced over the pale skin absentmindedly, the soothing strokes across his belly calming his mind slightly.

"I'd probably been living by myself for a year or so, playing in the band and… doing my job, when one of my clients invited me to this… dinner party thing. I wasn't really into that kind of thing, but she promised to pay me double time by the hour if I escorted her, so I went along with it. Spent most of the evening saying hi to a bunch of suits. It was dead boring.

"But then the girl introduced me to one of her friends. He wasn't wearing a tie and he was drinking a beer rather than the complimentary champagne. He was a really nice guy; we got on like a house on fire."

Roxas swallowed, and his hand skimmed back up his torso and over his chest, tweaking and pinching the fabric between two long fingers. His eyes slid over to regard Sora once more.

"That guy's name was Seifer," he said, his eyes dark with sadness. At Sora's incredulous expression, his mouth curled into a smirk that held no humour whatsoever. "I know, right? Believe it or not, we became best friends. I spent nearly every waking moment with the guy. He was like a brother to me.

"But, Seifer was in a bad crowd. In fact, he was second in command of the Midgar Yakuza when I met him. He's got his own gang now, but back then he did worse shit than beating people up and threatening them. He ran drugs, managed brothels, sold weapons on the black market… and I got dragged into it along with him."

Sora groaned and held his head in his hands. Things couldn't get much worse than this, could they? Roxas had gotten involved in Yakuza activity, been an _accomplice _of Seifer's. "I continued to see my clients, but most of them were contacts within the Yakuza circle. Things were so hectic all the time, and I lived every day wondering if it was my last… We had a lot of enemies, you know?"

"Yeah," Sora replied hoarsely, feeling numb with disbelief. "I get it."

Roxas eyed him with what seemed to be sympathy. "I'm almost done," he murmured gently, giving Sora's leg a brief nudge of reassurance. "So then, I started doing drugs. Hard stuff, heroin and crack, that kind of thing. Wound up in hospital more times than I like to remember… well, after about my tenth visit, Cloud somehow found out where I was. He came to visit me. I hadn't seen him in like, three years by this point, and I was so doped up on meds that I barely recognized him. He stayed with me until I got discharged and then took me to Zack's place.

"I was pretty much catatonic for a few months. Didn't know where I was, who Zack and Cloud were… the withdrawal symptoms were bad, really bad. When I finally snapped out of it, Seifer was about to bust down the door and demand that I come back to the Yakuza."

Roxas gave pause now, the memories starting to affect him too much to continue. His voice had been jilted and shaking for the past few minutes, and now he rolled to face away from Sora so as to hide the few tears that leaked miserably out of his eyes. Sora said nothing. He stared at his hands, worrying his lower lip with his teeth, trying to remember how to breathe properly. Finally, Roxas turned back to him.

"Cloud told Seifer I was done with the Yakuza, that I was getting a real job and a life now. Seifer accused me of betraying him and tried to attack me, but Zack and Cloud floored him before he even had the chance. They beat him till he was barely breathing… I think they were so full of hatred towards him for getting me into the state I was that they actually wanted to kill him. They didn't though… I don't think those guys are capable of becoming murderers.

"So Seifer was driven out of Midgar and threatened not to return. Cloud and Zack had all of the ShinRa bodyguards to back them up… and that's like a fucking army. My guess is Seifer only just came back a few weeks ago. He's been keeping a low profile. And now he wants me out of Midgar."

Roxas's monologue came to an end, and all was silent in the room for a while. Roxas stared at the ceiling, his eyes tracing faint plaster lines as he waited for Sora's response. The brunette sat like a limp marionette, propped up against the headboard with his head hanging like he was in a coma. The only signs that he was conscious were that he kept biting his lips, and occasionally his fists would clench tight and he would let out some sort of frustrated sound.

Roxas got up after twenty minutes and no answer. "I'm going to make some coffee," he mumbled. He took a quick glance at the digital clock on the bedside table, which read 12.35 am. "Oh yeah… happy birthday to us, I guess."

* * *

The kettle rumbled loudly as the element heated up and started to boil the water. Roxas stared vacantly at the appliance as it started to shake slightly from the force of the boiling liquid inside, waiting for the automatic catch to flip up and signal that his water was ready. He twiddled a teaspoon with coffee granule residue on it between his fingers, going over Sora's reaction.

He had expected Sora to start shouting at him. The boy was usually so hyperactive and highly strung after all. Roxas had almost hoped to get into a screaming match with him, just so that he could vent some of his frustration. But Sora had listened with wide eyes, merely looking more and more broken as Roxas continued to reveal his past to the brunette. By the end of the monologues, Sora looked like little more than a lifeless doll. And that hurt a lot more than being screamed at.

"Great start to my twenties," Roxas growled as he slopped some water from the kettle into his mug and then stirred the instant coffee granules to make sure that they dissolved properly. The smell of coffee was easing his stomach which was still churning after the incident in the car park. Not caring if he burned his mouth or not, he took a large gulp, feeling the scalding liquid slide down his throat and into his tempestuous stomach. The burning pain was good. It let him know that this wasn't a dream.

He leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee and staring into blank white space. He couldn't hear any movement in the bedroom. He drummed his fingers on the counter top impatiently, wanting to go and confront Sora, ask what he wanted to do now that he knew that Roxas used to be drug-addicted man whore… but he forced himself to wait. Sora needed time. This was a lot of information to receive all in one go.

He could probably have hidden the prostitution from Sora, but what good would it have done? It would have come out sooner or later, and then it would be worse, because Sora would feel betrayed and lied to. At least now he was sure that Sora only felt horrified and disgusted.

A loud crash sounded from the bedroom, and then all was silent. It sounded suspiciously like something had fallen to the floor. Remembering that Sora's narcolepsy tended to take over when he was stressed out, Roxas drained his mug and dumped it in the sink before rushing into the bedroom. Sora was indeed asleep. He had passed out sitting up, and fallen sideways off the edge of the bed. Blood was oozing from his temple where he seemed to have hit his head on the nightstand in the process.

Roxas knelt down beside the boy, who even in sleep had a troubled expression on his face. Rolling Sora onto his back, Roxas smoothed his bangs back and examined the cut, before taking a long look at Sora's face. It could be the last time he would be able to, if Sora chose to cut him out of his life. Realising this, Roxas did not hesitate as he inclined his head and brushed his lips gently over Sora's, a feather like caress, before pulling away and shaking Sora's shoulder gently.

"Wake up, Sora," he murmured softly, and the dark, sooty lashes splayed on Sora's cheeks fluttered, sliding open to reveal his hazy, still slightly out-of-it eyes. "You okay?" Roxas asked, aiding the boy into a sitting position. "You hit your head pretty hard."

Sora didn't speak. He stared at Roxas with a near blank expression, as if words failed him. Roxas reached over to the nightstand and pulled a small canvas bag from the drawer, opening it to reveal various band aids and painkillers. He pulled out a flesh coloured plaster and told Sora to hold still (though he needn't have, Sora was still sitting there like a comatose puppet) as he applied the dressing to the cut on the brunette's face, smoothing it over and making sure it was sticking firmly.

"Sora," he said in the boy's ear when he was done. "Snap out of it Sora."

The glazed look remained, but Sora's lip trembled.

"I need to know what you want," Roxas sighed, crouched down in front of the boy. "What's going to happen to… us? You've got to snap out of it!" he repeated again, more angrily this time.

"I…" Sora breathed, blinking slowly. "I don't… want to. It… hurts too much to think about it…"

Roxas huffed and sat down on the floor next to Sora, taking the boy's hands in his own. "I know it hurts… but it's for the best that you know. I didn't want to keep living a lie with you, Sora. I really like you, you've become my best friend in the space of a weekend… I couldn't keep it from you."

Sora swallowed and nodded, the haze in his eyes clearing as he blinked slowly. He took a few deep breaths and then looked at Roxas. "I need some time, Roxas."

Roxas blinked. "Time?"

Sora inclined his head, shaking his hands out of the blonde's grip. "I have to think about this. I want to be your friend but… that was a lot of information. And I don't know if you're important enough to me yet, for me to be getting mixed up in gang warfare and yakuza shit… I want to help you, but I don't see how I could."

"I'm not asking for help… just support," Roxas mumbled, looking down at the carpet. His fingers tugged and twisted at the little hairs of fabric nervously. "But… I understand if you can't give it."

"Yeah," Sora murmured, pushing himself to his feet and dusting himself off a little. He winced and touched the plastered cut. "I'll come to the gig tomorrow though… and the after party. Maybe it will help me see my feelings a little clearer."

Roxas felt his heart skip a beat. "You don't have to do that," he said quickly, standing up too and meeting Sora's gaze. "You can celebrate your birthday with Tidus, like you planned."

"No… I want to," Sora mumbled. "But right now, I just need to get some sleep… I have class tomorrow anyway. I'll see you at the gig," he promised. His hand came up to rest briefly on Roxas's shoulder.

"I really like you Roxas… more than I like to admit. But I have to say, I'm disappointed. I thought you were better than that stuff."

The singer hung his head shamefully and nodded. "I understand… I'm sorry, Sora."

"Hmm." Roxas watched sadly as Sora turned away and walked out of the room, hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head bowed, brooding. There was shuffling as he pulled on his shoes at the front door, and then a click and a snap as he opened and closed the door, leaving Roxas alone in the big white apartment.

"That… could have gone worse," Roxas murmured, wandering through into the living room. He went to close the curtains of the French windows, but hesitated. He needed some air. He pulled the glass doors open and stepped onto the balcony, the biting cold night air whipping his face refreshingly. He looked up and saw stars winking over head, watching over the city like celestial guardians.

"That's a sight you don't see a lot in Midgar," he whispered to himself, leaning on the edge of the balcony and gazing upwards as the astronomical lights twinkled overhead. "That, and flowers. Don't see a lot of them either."

His conversation with himself stopped short when he heard a strange noise from below him. It sounded like someone was coughing, or choking. He leaned over the railings, craning his neck to see what was going on, keeping a wary eye out for that black sports car that Seifer's men had been in. His eyes widened slightly when he saw a familiar head of spiky chocolate hair atop a body that was slumped on the sidewalk outside his apartment, leaning against the wall and shaking with grief. Sora was crying.

The fact that he had waited until he was out of the apartment to start crying stung Roxas's in the heart. Sora didn't want to seem weak before him, to show how much Roxas's story had hurt. Guilt racked Roxas's insides like sharp, needle point knives, forcing him to acknowledge that he had probably just lost not only his best friend, but possibly the only person he had ever truly had feelings for.

And it hurt. It hurt a lot.

"Fuck…" he mumbled, gripping the balcony railing tightly as he turned his head away from the sight of Sora, broken and sobbing on the ground, and looked back at the stars, hoping to find some sort of hope nestling there amongst the twinkling lights. But there is only darkness between stars. Vast, empty space that provides nothing but solitude.

"_Fuck_!" he said again, his tears bubbling up again in his chest and wobbling his words. "What have I _done?_" As the hysterics and tears began, clouds skirted and scudded across the night sky, blocking the stars from view. _There really is no hope among the stars_, he thought, as the grief consumed him.

* * *

_ARGH THE ANGST!! -ducks rocks thrown at her- Please dont hurt me!! It will all turn out good in the end, I promise!  
I have a review monster living under my bed... please feed it, or it will eat me and I won't be able to update T.T_


	11. Shattered

_So... it's chapter eleven! It's only 5,248 words this week, I am sorry T.T Usually I write these chapters at work in tandem with my translations, but we had a bit of a crisis at work this week because a brochure hadn't been updated so I had to rush around all this week finding the new images and stuff to update it... So I sadly wrote this in haste this evening. I apologise if there are mistakes.  
Just a little warning, as you all know, next Thursday is Heilige Abend (Christmas Eve). It just so happens that I am flying to the UK on Wednesday to spend two weeks with my family, and while I WILL have internet and laptop access, I don't know if I will have an update ready for you next Thursday. It will either be on a different day of the week or, more likely, not at all. I'm sure this won't bother you too much, I mean, you're all probably going to be busy with Christmas plans and stuff, but I just wanted to warn you. Things will resume as normal the week after, and if there is no update next week, I will write an EXTRA LONG chapter for you the week after :)  
Right, now that we've cleared that up... this week's song is Shattered by Trading Yesterday. It's one of my favourite songs at the moment, please check it out. Despite the slightly depressing lyrics, I always feel happy after listening to this song._

_**Disclaimer: **I disclaim.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Eleven

Shattered

Sora awoke on Monday morning to the shrill scream of his alarm clock and an aching pain in his chest. With a groan, he threw his legs over the edge of the bed and reached blindly for the offending object which had woken him up, smacking his hand on the top of it and effectively silencing it. He sat there for a few minutes in his tracksuit pants, his hair in complete disarray and his eyes muggy with sleep. His sinuses felt blocked from the crying last night and his head was pounding as he clutched his chest, trying to ease the ache in his heart.

In the past, Sora had always listened to his emotions before his logic. This was mainly because logic was what his business-driven father relied on, and Sora was determined to be as different from the man as possible. As a plus, his heart always seemed to know the route which would lead him to light and happiness, and so he had grown to trust it over the sensible voice which nagged occasionally in the back of his brain. It was what had led him to art eventually, and encouraged him to procure his friendship with Roxas.

At the thought of Roxas though, his heart gave an erratic, rough thump in his chest, slamming roughly against his ribcage as if demanding he pay due care and attention to the subject of the blonde. He wondered for the first time in his life if his heart had led him down a bad path or not. What Roxas had told him last night was more than just a lot of information, it was _bombshell_. And while Sora liked to think he was open-minded and kind-hearted enough to care for anyone, no matter what their past, now that he was faced with the dilemma he was starting to doubt himself.

As he started to get ready for his day at university, Sora pondered on the subject of Roxas. He wasn't going to make a decision yet. He had promised himself that he would wait until after their birthday gig and the after party to decide what he wanted to do in terms of his friendship with the blonde. But he couldn't help but mull things over as he stepped into the small, cramped bathroom that he and Tidus shared and turned the water on, waiting for it to heat up. As he disrobed, wincing as he caught his clothes on cuts by accident, Sora listened for one of the first times to his logic.

Roxas was an ex-yakuza member who used to sleep with women for money and do hard drugs. When he had first met the blonde, he had immediately sensed that a bad past came with the package of being Roxas's friend, hidden behind that melancholy yet beautiful exterior, but he hadn't thought it would be quite so extreme. And right now, his logic was screaming and rattling the bars of the cage he had kept it locked up in for so many years, telling him to run away from the situation while he could and never look back. If he remained involved with Roxas, he was immediately putting himself in danger, and any old enemy of Roxas could choose to target Sora in order to get to the blonde.

But even as he thought this, the pain in his chest grew until he was nearly unable to breathe. His emotions strongly objected to his logic – his heart and mind were at war within his slim body. The very idea of cutting ties with Roxas was enough to make him feel nauseous and panicky, in much the same way one feels when their lover unexpectedly breaks up with them.

He flicked his hand under the water and deemed it to be hot enough, stripping off his underwear and dashing into the shower as the cold threatened to consume him. He yelped – the water was hotter than he thought, and Tidus shouted some sort of jeer from the lounge having heard it. Not having the time to faff about with such things like temperature, he gritted his teeth and stuck his head under the boiling stream, letting out a curse as he did so and earning another distant laugh from Tidus. He quickly began to wash his unruly spikes, hissing as the citrus shampoo stung his cuts, feeling the water quickly wash away any residue of the tears that had been streaming down his face the night before.

He hadn't been able to cry in front of Roxas. He just couldn't. The blonde hadn't cried himself, but he had looked so broken as he told his story that Sora didn't want to make things worse by showing he was upset. Roxas appeared to have enough on his plate without Sora burdening him with his own sadness.

That was when Sora realised that he had already forgiven Roxas, if anything needed to be forgiven at all. At most, he forgave him for hiding the truth, and for being so weak as to succumb to such lows as prostitution and drugs. But it was in the past. And Sora knew that his heart accepted that without a shadow of a doubt. Roxas was making a living for himself, an honest living, and was working his butt off to realise the dream that had made him run away from home all those years ago, the dream to be a top musician. He was just unfortunate that he couldn't shut the door on his past completely; some long black feelers had gotten themselves trapped and were preventing him from putting the subject under lock and key. And now, they were fighting back, pushing the door back open and biting him on the ass, it seemed.

Having become more accustomed to the heat of the water, Sora stepped fully under the shower head, washing away dirt and despair and dried blood. He was glad he had some soap for sensitive skin; else washing his body would have been a real nightmare with all the open wounds.

His mind drifted back to his dilemma. Now that he had forgiven Roxas, he had to decide whether he was going to listen to his heart or his mind. He didn't want to make a decision yet, but he could at least weigh up the pros and cons and make a preliminary choice. It was true that staying with Roxas was going to be a dangerous thing. Seifer's gang would target both of them, and even though they had Cloud, Zack and the rest of the ShinRa bodyguards on their side, it was going to be hell to solve the problem. But at the same time, Sora knew that what Roxas needed more than anything right now was support and friendship, something that Sora could easily give him.

And then of course, Sora had to take his feelings into account. He was beyond caring now that Roxas was a guy. If his red string of fate was destined to be wrapped around the pinky finger of another male, then who was he to argue? He wasn't homophobic; he had just been perturbed by the emergence of his feelings for Roxas when he had liked _girls_ all his life. But now he was starting to come to terms with it a little. Perhaps fate and soul mates were a little extreme to be thinking about now, considering he had only met Roxas two days ago, but right now they were all he had to explain the _pull_ he felt towards the boy.

_And the kisses felt so good too_, he mused as he turned the water off and climbed out of the shower, towelling himself off gently and pulling on a pair of blue boxers and some faded baggy jeans. Leaving himself topless for now, he proceeded to brush his teeth and make sure his hair dried properly. His chest still felt a little tight, but it was lot better than it had been when he had woken up. He presumed that his heart was somewhat at ease, because for now, Sora decided he was going to stick with Roxas. It wasn't for certain, but at least he had somewhat figured out his predicament.

He pulled on the red t-shirt and stepped out of the bathroom, only to be immediately (and painfully) tackled to the floor by a flying mass of blonde.

"Happy Birthday Sora!!" Tidus cried gleefully, grabbing the shoulders of the brunette and shaking him like a marionette.

"T-Tidus," Sora choked as his head lolled back and forth. "You're sitting on my chest."

"Oh, sorry man!" Tidus lifted his hips up and took his weight off the bruised chest of his flatmate, who let out a long, relieved wheeze. "Anyway, I made you breakfast, so let's eat and then walk to uni together!"

'Breakfast' turned out to be an attempt at frying bacon but burning it, on Tidus's part, and then slapping it between two slices of bread with some ketchup and mayonnaise and calling it a sandwich. It tasted a little like eating coal, but it was the thought that counted (and what was left of the bacon _did_ taste good), so Sora happily munched on it as he opened his cards at their small dining table. Kairi and Riku had unexpectedly given him fifty dollars. He had expected a present from Kairi but not from Riku, as he had only met the guy a few times, so he was touched to find so much money enclosed (he knew from Kairi's shopping addiction that Riku had mostly contributed to it). There was also a card from Roxas, Cloud and Zack, another surprise he hadn't expected after the events of last night and the fact that he knew Cloud and Zack even less than Riku. Roxas had left a little note at the bottom, reading '_You'll get your present after the gig'_ in swirly handwriting.

Predictably, his mother had called, and he spent the remaining time in the flat before he went university trying to tell her to stop crying, because she wasn't old just because she had a twenty-year old son. His father had come to the phone for about a nanosecond to wish him happy returns and then muttered something about work and promptly given the phone back to his mother. Tidus cleared up the breakfast plates and got dressed as Sora chatted, whilst the brunette positioned the phone between his ear and his shoulder and proceeded to pack his shoulder bag for the classes he had that day. He realised with a groan that he would have to lug his huge A3 portfolio folder around with him all day, and grabbed it from its position next to his pile of finished canvas paintings to put it next to his desk, so he wouldn't forget it.

"Mom, I have to go to class now," he muttered when he couldn't take any more of her crying and sobbing, and noticed that he had to leave the apartment now if he wanted to catch the right bus.

"Okay sweetie," she hiccupped down the phone, "I'll see you and your friend for your birthday meal tomorrow! Don't forget now!"

"Yeah, BYE Mom," he said loudly, and shut the phone before she could say another word. He emerged into the living room where Tidus was tying the laces of his walking boots, rolling his eyes when Tidus eyed the phone as if to say something exasperated about Mrs Leonhart.

"She's a little... emotional today," Sora muttered, pulling on his coat and slinging his bag strap over his head to rest diagonally across his chest, picking up the slim portfolio folder in one hand.

"I guessed. I could hear her sobbing from the kitchen," Tidus replied, standing up and making sure he had his keys. "Ready, birthday boy?"

They trudged out of the apartment, locking it behind them and making their way out into the fresh early morning air. It was slightly warmer today than it had been on the weekend, and some of the snow had melted much to their relief. That meant that the busses were probably running. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the easterly sunshine shone brightly down on them as they began to make their way up the street towards the bus stop. Other students were emerging from apartments along the road, and some greeted them and wished Sora a happy birthday.

They waited at the bus stop with Yuna, a girl who lived two doors down from them and was studying performing arts at their university. She also happened to be Tidus's most recent infatuation, so the wait for the bus was spent with the blonde tripping over his words and Yuna flirting shyly. Sora leaned against the wall of the shelter, watching the pair with amusement, basking in the _normality_ of the situation, something he hadn't felt since he went to that fateful underground gig on Friday night.

"Hi Sora! Happy birthday!" He turned his head to see Naminé dashing up to them, wearing a cream coat and white jeans. With her long blonde hair and her wide blue eyes, she looked like a perfect angel in the snow covered surroundings. Her face was a little pink and she was smiling brightly.

"Yo Naminé, thanks," Sora beamed, giving her a warm hug. Naminé had been one of his best friends for as long as he had known her, and that had been almost as long as he had known Kairi. He had met Naminé through the loveable redhead, because they were cousins, and they got on extremely well. Naminé always had a word of advice and had an uncanny ability to know what you were thinking. If she could read what was troubling Sora now, however, she kept quiet about it as they chatted and waited for the bus.

"Olette had to go over to Kairi's again this morning," Naminé laughed, drawing patterns in the thin layer of ice on the window of the bus shelter. Olette and Naminé shared an apartment, but while Naminé was in university, studying arts with Sora, Olette worked with Kairi, which was how she had come into the friendship group. The green eyed beauty was a very calming person, who had taken a nursing degree but decided she didn't like it. She now worked in the publishing office with Kairi, but she was a little higher up the food chain than the redhead. While Kairi just made copies and got everyone coffee, Olette was one of the marketing assistants. One of the downsides of working with Kairi, however, is that one had to make sure she turned up every day. Thus, Olette spent most mornings driving halfway across Midgar to get the lazy girl out of bed.

"As harsh as it sounds, I think we should just let her stay in bed and learn her lesson when she get's fired," Sora replied, rolling his eyes. They all turned to watch as the bus rounded the corner, empty for now but soon to be full as more than twenty students were now waiting, throwing snowballs at each other or making snow angels.

"Olette's too kind for that," Naminé sighed, and they hopped on the bus quickly in hopes of grabbing seats together. They secured a four-seater with Yuna and Tidus, who were still chatting awkwardly and giving each other shy smiles.

The ride to the university was non-eventful as usual, but enjoyable. Sora loved university life; the drunken parties, the days spent on campus studying under the trees or playing Frisbee, and the friends he had made were all part of what made the experience so enjoyable for him. He even loved the classes and turned up to nearly all of them.

His first class was a life painting session, his least favourite of the classes despite enjoying the course in general. He always felt acutely uncomfortable, having to stare at a naked person and draw them. Luckily, Naminé was in this class with him, so he felt slightly more comfortable in having a person to talk to who was equally as mortified by staring at a fat naked person as he was.

The class lasted most of the morning, and when they emerged feeling sufficiently mind-raped, they were ambushed by the ball of energy that is Tidus once again, who announced that they were going to T.G.I. Fridays to celebrate Sora's birthday. He had managed to gather up quite crowd of people wanting to wish Sora a happy birthday, and Kairi, Riku and Olette were among them, all claiming to be on their lunch breaks. The end of Riku's hair was singed, and when asked about it, all he would say was that one of Professor Ansem's experiments had backfired rather badly and Riku had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Kairi thought it gave him a 'daring warrior' look, something that caused Tidus to accidentally snort his orange juice up his nose and start choking on it.

Amazingly, Tidus had planned ahead and booked a table for the group of about fifteen people. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were relieved to see that there were no little children running about, most of the customers being business men on their lunch breaks. They were ushered to the largest table (and Sora was presented with balloons when he demanded them), and they all settled down to check out the menu. Yuna was sharing one with Tidus and leaning across his quite provocatively for someone who was usually very shy. Sora sat at the head of the table, with Olette and Naminé on one side and Kairi and Riku on the other, chatting excitedly while they waited for everyone to choose what they were having.

"Thanks so much for the money guys!" Sora cried, bouncing up and down in his seat like an over-excited four year old.

"Has he drunk any Red Bull today?" Riku asked Naminé in a stage whisper, causing the brunette boy to pout.

"Hey! I'm allowed to be excited! It's my _birthday_, and I haven't been to this restaurant in like, _forever_!" He took a long sip of his coke, and everyone rolled their eyes as he continued to bounce excitedly. "Do they still have that _amazing_ orange sorbet I had last time?? I hope so, I _love_ sorbet!"

"You mean 'anything with sugar', don't you Sora?" Naminé asked dryly, laughing as he produced yet another puppy dog pout. The waitress came then to take their order, and when she was told it was Sora's birthday, she produced a paper hat from her apron and plonked it haphazardly on his spikes. It sat at an angle and was bright pink, but he liked it and left it there, demanding that Tidus take a photo to remember the occasion.

"So um... have you spoken to Roxas today?" Sora asked Riku nonchalantly through a mouthful of potato wedge when their food arrived. Riku glanced up at him sharply, sensing that there was more to Sora's question than making conversation.

"No. Why?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. Sora bit his lip. Apparently Riku didn't know what had happened to his lead singer last night.

"No reason. I'm going to the bathroom," he announced, standing up abruptly enough to make his glass topple. Olette caught it in the nick of time as he rushed off, glancing at Riku over his shoulder and gesticulating with his head for the silver-haired drummer to follow.

"I'm going too," Riku sighed, and Kairi looked at him curiously as he rose from his seat with grace and flipped his hair from his eyes. He gave her a '_I'll tell you later_' look and sauntered off after Sora casually, his hands shoved in his pockets.

Sora was sat on the edge of the sink when Riku walked into the otherwise empty restrooms. The brunette was swinging his feet nervously, looking like a pampered, ridiculous prince with his pink hat sitting jauntily on his head.

"What's up then?" Riku asked casually, walking up to the full length mirror and proceeding to fiddle with his hair. He watched Sora in the reflection, his turquoise eyes still narrowed.

"I don't know if it's my place to tell you this, but knowing Roxas, he'll keep it to himself and you'll never find out if I don't tell you..." Sora sighed, running his hand through his hair and knocking the hat off. He caught it before it fell in the sink but didn't put it back on his head, proceeding to fiddle with it in his hands.

"Roxas was... attacked last night," he murmured. He was surprised that he wasn't crying again. But it seemed that he had used up all his tears, and the lively atmosphere of the restaurant was keeping his mood fairly buoyant as he spoke, despite the grave matter at hand.

"Attacked? You mean by Seifer again?" Riku asked coolly. He had always been the member of the band who thought rationally in times of panic, which was why it was _his_ band. Until they got a real manager, he controlled everything about the band. Not even Roxas had power over him; Riku was top man when it came to making decisions about the group. So now, he was keeping a level head, having just found out that his lead singer was probably in trouble _again_.

"Yeah..." Sora trailed off, looking a little sadder. "But not in the way you think... it was... well, it was more of a sexual attack than anything."

Riku was about to pose the question of rape, but Sora saw it coming and interrupted him before he could ask it. "It wasn't rape! But it was just as bad, in my opinion. He's got..." he swallowed and brought his hand up to grasp his chin in the way he thought it may have happened to Roxas, "He's got marks... here. Bruises."

Riku understood, and nodded. "Figures that Seifer would use sex as a form of attack against Roxas," he said calmly, turning to lean against the mirror, regarding Sora through his bangs.

"So you... know about his past?" Sora asked carefully, worrying his lower lips with his small, straight teeth.

Riku inclined his head. "I'm his manager, I make it my business to know these things. I trust he told you everything and that's why you've been slightly awkward today?"

Sora jumped. He hadn't realised that anyone had noticed his off-behaviour. He had tried to cover it up with over-excitement and energy, but evidently Riku was a very perceptive person to have seen through it. "Yeah," he said sadly, looking down into his lap where the paper hat now lay in shreds. He had ripped it to pieces without even noticing.

"I know what you're thinking," Riku said calmly, his gaze fixed firmly on the brunette. "_Can I trust him? Has he really changed?_"

Okay, so Riku was an _extremely_ perceptive person, Sora decided as his mouth fell open in shock. Riku chuckled and continued, the expression on Sora's face being all the answer he needed.

"Roxas may have a dark past, Sora, but believe me; nobody regrets it more than he does. He works so hard for this band because he wants to prove that he is more than a common whore or a druggie. It's his dedication that is going to take us places." He pushed himself off the wall and walked up to the brunette, who was still sat on the sink and swinging his legs. "But don't tell him I told you that. We don't want his ego inflating before we've even got a record deal," he chuckled quietly in Sora's ear, before giving the brunette a smirk and leaving the bathroom.

"Huh," Sora murmured, staring at the tiles on the floor and tracing square patterns between them with his eyes. He was glad he had talked to Riku. The guy knew what he was talking about, and evidently could read people very well. Sora found himself hoping that he could eventually become friends with Riku. He seemed to be a reliable person who knew exactly the right thing to say whilst always being honest. Kairi had found a good person, and he was happy for her.

A grin now stuck to his face and refusing to leave it, he hopped off the sink and threw the tattered remains of his paper hat in the trash can, before moving back into the restaurant to find that the main course had been served. He immediately immersed himself in eating; ignoring the look that Kairi gave him that quite blatantly asked why he and Riku had been in the bathroom for so long. Riku rubbed her arm lightly and kissed her cheek, which seemed to appease her.

Much to Sora's delight, the orange sorbet was indeed still on the dessert menu, and he ordered a serving for everyone in lieu of birthday cake. The waitress even stuck a sparkler in his and made the restaurant sing happy birthday. Tidus picked up a straw and conducted them dramatically, until Yuna grabbed him by the seat of his pants and forced him to sit down before he knocked somebody out.

As they tucked into the sweet dessert, Sora felt the last of the unease in his chest slip away. Talking to Riku had been really worthwhile, and he was almost certain now of what his choice was going to be. Roxas worked really, really hard for the band, and if Sora left him now, those efforts would go to waste as Seifer would sink his claws into the golden-haired boy. And Sora was not going to let Roxas give up on his dream. Roxas had run away from home for the sake of music at the tender age of fifteen. If that wasn't dedication to a dream, Sora didn't know if anything was.

His grinned, and Riku caught the look, returning it with a rare smile. Things were looking up, even if the future was dark and void of hope. Sora was vaguely reminded of a line from a play he had studied at school; "_Even_ _if the morrow is barren of promises, __nothing shall__ forestall __my return_." It seemed apt, despite the slightly morbid connotations.

They emerged from the restaurant, sated and happy, and the group separated to go back to work or university. Sora had a workshop that afternoon, which was why he had brought his portfolio folder with him. It was a class he really looked forward to, because the teacher was extremely helpful and encouraging and he was able to work on his personal projects rather than school assignments. He had been planning to focus on a watercolor painting he had been working on for the past few weeks, but when he sat down at the work bench that afternoon, he found himself taking a clean sheet of A4 paper from his folder and drawing a manga panel.

One sheet progressed over the course of the afternoon into six. Sora didn't know where his sudden inspiration had come from, but the manga he had drawn was very good even by his standards, and before the class ended he scanned the images into the school computer so that he could digitally shade and ink them when he got home. But that would have to come at a later date, because the Reizones gig was that evening, and he had to get ready for it.

When he emerged from the class, he pulled his phone out to check his messages for the first time that day. He smiled. **34 unread messages**. Guaranteed that more than half of them were from his 'darling' mother. He scanned through them all, texting short replies to the birthday wishes and ignoring the ones from his Mom, until he came to one which simply read, '_Want to get ready for the gig at mine?_'

He smiled when he read who had sent it. Roxas wasn't angry with him! He had been so worried that his more-than-harsh words last night would have angered the blonde, but it evidently wasn't the case.

It was then that he decided he didn't even need the gig to help him decide what he was going to do. He was going to stay with Roxas, and together, they were going to get through this bitch. Seifer was going to get his assed kicked and Roxas was going to become a famous musician, no matter what it took!

He stared at the message for a little while as he realized this, and then as he came to his senses, he pressed the green call button, bringing the phone to his ear. It rang once, twice, thrice…

"Hello?" The voice was hoarse and rough. Roxas had been crying a lot more than Sora had, it seemed. Sora winced at the grating sound of Roxas's dry throat.

"Roxas?" he said, as if he needed confirmation of who he was talking to.

"Sora?" The voice picked up an octave. Roxas sounded like he was pleased but trying to hide it.

"About your text…" Sora began, examining his fingers as he walked through the campus towards the bus stop. Roxas interrupted him.

"If you don't want to come over its fine, I totally understand!" he blurted out. Sora paused halfway through forming a word, his mouth open.

"Actually," he said with a smile, dodging a snow ball thrown his way by Tidus, who was waving to him at the bus stop, "I would love to come over."

There was a pregnant pause. He could hear breathing on the end, but he still laughed and said, "Still with me, Roxy?"

He heard a nervous chuckle at the use of the pet name, and could have sworn he could _hear_ Roxas smiling. "R-really?" Roxas mumbled happily. His voice sounded a little wobbly, overflowing with emotion. There was a sniff. He was trying to hold back tears.

"You aren't gonna cry on me, are you Roxy?" Sora teased, ducking another snowball and kicking a drift of snow up so that some of it hit Tidus in the face. Tidus gave a dramatic silent cry and clutched his throat, falling to the ground and writhing in mock death. Sora clamped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from bursting out laughing while talking to the emotional blonde on the other end of the line.

"Shut up!" Roxas shouted, and Sora thought he detected a pout in the voice. "I'm not crying! Be here at six, doofus!"

"Hey! If I'm a doofus, you're a dumbass!" Sora retorted, but he yelled when Naminé snuck up behind him and dumped snow down the back of his shirt. "ARGH! Naminé! You little…! Look, I gotta go Roxy; I'll see you at six!" He hung up and proceeded to chase after Naminé, his heart not only completely free from aches, but fluttering like a hummingbird in his chest.

* * *

_Well, there it is. Possibly the last chapter before Christmas. Hope it wasn't too awful ^^ It took me four hours to write...  
Please feed the review monster :)_


	12. With Me

_You have full permission to tie me to a stake and poke me with pointy sticks. Three weeks without an update?! I am a disgrace! -hangs head- Please don't be too mad... I was intending to write a **long** chapter to make it up to you, but in this case, I think you will agree that quality **surely** makes up for quantity ;) And hopefully the events of this chapter will be more than enough to make up for the three week drought.  
Anyway, about the song. It's 'With Me' by Sum 41, which deviates a little from the usual genre of music but trust me, listen to it and you will totally see why I chose it. It is the song that the band perform in this chapter, so I highly advise listening to it if you don't already know it._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Sad times :(  
_**

* * *

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twelve

With Me

It was strange how a simple wooden door could look so imposing when you were anxious and nervous. The fresh white paint was like a condescending glare, and the hollow knock that his rapping knuckles ensued was a scoffing laugh. Sora fought with the urge to glower at the inanimate object as he waited for the occupant to answer his call to be let in. Roxas hadn't even answered the pager when Sora had buzzed himself in downstairs. From what Sora could tell, he had just pressed the entrance button straight away without answering the receiver. His stomach was wringing itself into an intricate cat's cradle; was Roxas still mad at him? Was this going to be awkward?

He was alerted by the sound of the chain sliding across on the other side of the door, a dragging, scraping sound that grated on his already frayed nerves. As if someone had hit the slow button, the door knob turned with an agonizingly lackadaisical manner. The door cracked open like tired eyes, the heavy bass line of unnameable techno music drifting through, thumping in his ears like a nagging headache. His lungs appeared to have forgotten what their job was as they too were on standby, watching the door be drawn open to reveal the object of his nerves.

He was as beautiful as ever. His sunshine locks were darkened slightly by a film of water that dripped from the ever spiky tips and landed on the old white t-shirt he had thrown on, leaving little grey spots on the cotton. His eyes were lined with tiredness, but the irises sparkled like lapis lazuli cut straight from the ground. The bruises on his face bent slightly as his cheeks dimpled and a wide, bright-toothed smile emerged, aimed directly at Sora.

"You came!" Roxas chorused happily, and catching Sora completely off guard, the blonde drew him into a tight embrace, arms wrapped firmly around his neck and wet locks dripping on Sora's neck as the singer practically nuzzled him. There was an awkward moment where Sora froze, his arms hanging like dead weights by his sides and his widened eyes looking over Roxas's shoulder into the white apartment which was immaculate as always. Roxas smelled like mint leaves – maybe he had changed his shower gel since last time. The smell stung Sora's nostrils slightly, stirring him from his shock and prompting him to self-consciously slip his hands around to the small of Roxas's back.

They remained that way for several long moments that were too short for either one's liking.

"I'm sorry." Roxas's voice wavered slightly, causing Sora to squeeze him tighter and bury his nose in the blonde's t-shirt, squeezing his eyes shut and fighting a hiccupping sob.

"No..." he sniffed, turning his head to press his cheek into the other's shoulder so that his nose grazed Roxas's neck fleetingly. "_I'm_ sorry... I can't believe I reacted like that..."

"You're forgiven," the blonde sighed, and his slender fingers weaved into the thick chocolate locks at the base of Sora's neck. "Not that I was mad at you to begin with..."

Another few seconds passed, and then they both seemed to realise simultaneously how intimately they were embracing. With eerily in-sync, awkward coughs, they broke apart and found interest in the skirting board or the CCTV camera, each shuffling their feet.

"Well, um, come in," Roxas grunted and rushed off into the kitchen, mumbling something about hot chocolate.

Sora kicked his converse off and dumped them in the shoe basket that was becoming so familiar to him. He took a few moments then as he was shutting the door behind him to mentally scold himself. Though he may have accepted that he was attracted to Roxas (there, he had said it), that didn't mean he could go sniffing the guy and nuzzling him. Though he was fairly sure Roxas felt similar feelings to him (why else would they have kissed?), the other may not have realised or accepted those feelings yet. Sora had to wait until Roxas was ready... if he would ever be ready.

He ran both hands through his bangs and sighed, before readjusting the fringe he had just messed up and wandering after Roxas into the kitchen. He came in to find Roxas smacking his head repeatedly on a wooden cabinet.

"Um... what are you doing?"

Roxas jumped about a foot in the air and simultaneously scrambled over to the other side of the room, where the kettle was just boiling. He grabbed a tin of chocolate powder and began spooning the brown stuff into two mugs he had set out.

"Th-that cupboard... doesn't shut properly unless you give it a good smack."

"And you felt the need to use your face for that?"

Sora thought he caught a blush rising in the thinner boy's face. "I couldn't be bothered to use my hands... I'm tired."

One russet eyebrow was quirked in a perfect arch, but Sora very wisely bit back any more comments on the subject and took the steaming, oversized mug he was handed.

"Shall we get ready then?"

* * *

Claustrophobia didn't even come close to describing it as Sora and Kairi weaved their way through the crowd like ants through blades of grass. They felt like ants too; small and insignificant. They weren't here for the music like all the people decked out in black and silver and ink, they were here for the band. The music was just an added bonus.

"Where's the stage?!" Sora yelled to his best friend over the loud chatter and the heavy guitar music playing from the speakers.

Kairi stood on her tip-toes, nose poking above the sea of Mohawks to peer to the other end of the room. She pointed in the direction they had been heading, but then grabbed Sora's shoulder as he went to continue pushing through the throng of sweaty bodies.

"Sora, there is no way we'll get a place in front of the stage. There has to be like five hundred people already!"

"So what should we do?" Sora asked, looking irritated. He wanted a good view of Roxas performing; he had to be able to see him, not just hear him, though that voice was admittedly more than enough to send him straight to heaven. Or hell. Wherever he was fated to go.

The finger Kairi had pointed in the direction of the stage now raised itself upwards towards the ceiling. Following its direction, Sora looked up to see a glass balcony overhead. His eyes scanned the length of it, locating a spiralling staircase which lead up to it, with a bouncer stood at the bottom and looking surly.

"We can't go up there," he started, but Kairi rolled her eyes and waved the tag that was hanging around her neck in his face.

"We're VIP's remember? That balcony is for _us_!"

They passed the bouncer without any trouble and ascended the staircase, admiring the venue from their higher viewpoint as they climbed. It was a lot nicer than the one they had been in on Friday. The walls were a freshly painted navy blue, and a soft black velvet curtain was draped across the new-looking stage like a blindfold that would soon be removed to reveal the stars of the show. A sophisticated lighting system was suspended from the ceiling, and the flooring was wooden panelled.

They reached the balcony, smiles stretching their faces as they took in comfortable leather armchairs, a private bar and a waiter serving appetisers to none other than Xion and Axel.

"Kairi! Sora!" Xion called, jumping off the stool at the bar and mincing over to them in knee high black leather boots, a miniscule skirt and a practically non-existent baby-tee. She gave them both loose hugs and dragged them back to the bar where Axel was slouching on his stool, a wicked grin on his face.

"No Reno tonight?" Sora asked as they were handed glasses of champagne.

"He's working," Axel snickered, downing his glass and grabbing another from the tray on the bar. "Besides, Xion and I are on a date."

"Screw you Axel Chakram! We are _not _on a date!" This statement was emphasised with a smack to the back of his head, causing him to accidentally inhale his champagne.

Whilst Axel tried to regain control over his respiratory system, Kairi and Sora moved over to the leather chairs positioned next to the edge of the balcony, where they had a perfect view of the stage. Little blue lights lined the stage like winking cats' eyes, and the floor of the auditorium was dotted at random intervals with similar coloured floor lights that gave the room the sense of being in an aquarium. It seemed a lot more extravagant than was required for a small time punk band, but Sora wasn't complaining. So far, this was the most exciting birthday he had ever had.

"I heard that the after party is in the same building as this," Kairi said, resting her arms on the glass barrier and then supporting her chin on her arms. "Upstairs there's a private lounge, bar and dance floor."

"I wonder how come they're playing such a nice venue," Sora pondered, mimicking her pose and letting his eyes wander over the various strangely styled hairdos that surged below them.

"Didn't Roxas tell you? This is their first big gig!" Kairi said, looking at him from the corner of her violet eyes, with incredulity. "There are talent scouts here and everything!"

"He never said it was such a big deal," Sora mumbled, pouting.

"Sora, they're doing a twenty-song set! That's _kind of _a big deal..."

"Shut up. The lights are going down."

Hushes swept through the crowd like a Mexican wave, a breeze that rustled punked-out leaves. The floor lights dimmed to an almost invisible turquoise, highlighting the soles of sneakers and boots but reaching no higher up the thick forest of legs that surged closer to the stage.

The raised platform was completely dark as the velvet curtain that reminded Sora so much of a waterfall of ink was drawn back. It was impossible to tell if anyone was stood there already; the lighting was too well planned out. The spectators were quite literally left in the dark as they waited.

Whispers danced on the tense atmosphere. A full minute passed with no music, no lights, no band members.

And then, starting quiet but becoming louder, overcoming the whispers and silencing them like a death shroud, Sora heard an acoustic guitar. Several bars of plucked strings ensued, a slow but cheerful tune, but still they could see nothing.

An intake of breath was the central spotlight's cue, and suddenly Roxas was stood there before a microphone, his hair throwing light off like a crystal, strumming his guitar as he started to sing, in a gentle, crooning voice.

_I don't want this moment... to ever end... where everything's nothing... without you._

In perfect synchronicity that caused Sora's heart to miss a beat, three more spotlights illuminated newly struck-up instruments. Riku's silver hair was like a wild lion's mane as he pounded out a rhythm that resembled a heartbeat, his icy blue eyes matching the cats' eyes that suddenly lit up around his drum kit. Zack's fingers were relatively untaxed as they kept up a simplistic bass line that further emphasised the beat that was like the band's very pulse – it was as though the beat kept them alive. Cloud was a mirror to Roxas's right – they had styled their hair in the same way, and even wore similar clothing. He drew out a long, high sigh from his electric guitar, like a keening gasp.

And still, the golden angel sang.

_I wait here forever just to... to see you smile, 'cause it's true... I am nothing... without you._

It was just so... different from anything Sora had heard so far from Reizones. He was used to heart wrenching, lung-tearing screams of agony and angry, passionate guitar riffs. The raw passion was still present here, perhaps even more so through the beat that his heart had synchronised itself with, but it was much softer. And the lyrics... he empathised completely.

He was sat upright in his chair, his fingers clenched tightly around the hem of his shirt. He felt... winded. Caught off guard, as Zack and Cloud joined Roxas, their deeper voices harmonizing with his like dark and white chocolate mixing to form milk.

If he had been breathless before, nothing could have prepared him for the chorus.

The musicians shared a knowing look, Roxas pressed a pedal with his foot, and that was the prompt that drew forth the crashing drums, the angry twin electric guitar riffs, the ear splitting bass... and the breathy, fervent voice that reigned over all other sounds as Roxas cried out the eerily familiar words.

_I want you to know, with everything I won't let this go, these words are my heart and soul..._

It was just so much. He could read and hear every emotion that the song described like he was feeling them himself... and maybe he was. The aquarium-like room was swimming, something wet was dripping off his chin... was there a leak in the ceiling?

He uncurled his fingers from his now-crinkled shirt, eyes still glued to the slightly blurry image of Roxas, with his eyes clenched shut and his forehead creased as he belted out the desperate lyrics. Sora's fingers touched his face and realised with another shocking jolt that he was crying. He bit his lip, hard, as the song, which had progressed through another verse and chorus, slowed back to the initial acoustic riff. He couldn't breathe. The rhythm wouldn't let him.

_Where everything's nothing... without you._

And then it was back, the crescendo of rock that sent his pulse racing – his lungs switched from not moving at all, to sudden and uncontrollable hyperventilation. Tanned hands gripped the cool metal bar in front of him and he forced himself to look away from the celestial being that was still singing on stage, to lower his head between his outstretched arms. Ignoring the beat was the hardest thing Sora had ever done, but he forced himself with desperate willpower.

The song had ended and another number he had already heard was starting by the time Sora was back in control of his breathing. He blinked, once, twice, and realised there were hands on his back, his shoulder. Kairi's soft but urgent voice reached his ears.

"Sora? Sora? Are you alright?"

A wave of nausea rolled over him as he raised his head and he groaned, covering his face with one hand.

"I feel sick..." he murmured. He peeked through the gaps in his fingers to see Xion crouched down beside him, her skirt strategically arranged, her almond-shaped eyes lined with concern as she looked up into his face. Looking further to his right, a shock of red and a large, firm hand on his shoulder confirmed that Axel was there.

"Do you want to go outside?" Kairi asked. She sounded so genuinely concerned that Sora felt guilty.

"No, I'll just get some water from the bar..." he mumbled. Riku was important to Kairi – she was here for the same reason as Sora, to see someone they cared for doing something they loved – and he would be damned if she missed this important gig because Sora had gotten a little emotional over a freaking _song._

He didn't want to get up. He wanted to keep watching as Roxas drowned himself in music, lost himself to a world where he seemed truly at ease, a world that Sora wanted be a part of so badly. But if he didn't get a drink right then, he would probably have genuinely been sick all over Xion's patent boots, and he knew that would just result in even more bruises for him.

Like a weary traveller, he hoisted himself from the deep armchair and stumbled over to the bar. Axel remained by his side as if he was tied to him, a warm hand supporting him by the elbow.

Thankfully, he could still see Roxas from his perch on the bar stool as he ordered a glass of water and Axel grabbed yet another glass of the complimentary champagne. The music was a little quieter here, at the back of the room, and he and Axel only had to raise their voices a little to make themselves heard.

"You know, I've been in music for a long time," Axel said as they sipped their drinks and observed the performance. Sora grabbed a napkin from the bar and wiped it through the ice cold condensation on his glass before pressing the dampened paper to his forehead, which was covered in a light film of perspiration. "And you know what?" the red head continued, "You're the first person I've ever seen have a panic attack over a song."

Sora didn't have the energy to glare, so he settled for an irritated huff. Axel was right though, he had completely overreacted just then. He didn't know what it was – the song had just... _connected_ with him on so many levels that he had felt like he was suffocating in emotions, not just his but the feelings of every person in the room.

"But I gotta admit," Axel chuckled then, "I'm totally jealous of these guys now. Our band's music has _never_ made people cry before. Sure, we've had the tearful fan girls, but from the looks of ya, you sure ain't one of them, yo."

"Are you going to say anything worth hearing or can I tune out?" Sora grumbled, slurping his straw and scowling in the direction of the stage, a vibrant blush staining his damp cheeks. It was too warm in here.

"Tch, and here I was being the nice guy by keeping ya company," Axel scoffed. They lapsed into silence, letting the throaty, gut-clenching voice of Roxas bring goose bumps to their arms and the back of their necks. His voice complimented the instruments with insane perfection – it was hair-raising at points.

"I want to watch him some more," Sora mumbled, grabbing a glass of wine and slipping off the stool. He swayed slightly and only scowled a little bit when Axel grabbed his elbow to steady him.

"Are ya sure that ya feel okay, yo?" Axel question as they made their way back to the balcony, their voices increasing in volume to counter the band's music.

After several minutes spent assuring Kairi, Xion and Axel that he wasn't about to pass out and die on them, he was allowed to relax back into the armchair, loosening up as the coolness of the leather soaked through his shirt and soothed his back. The band was performing one of their trademark heavy, dark rock numbers.

Roxas's guitar was slung onto his back, his bangs were slightly sweaty and were stuck to his forehead as he screamed out emotions, both hands clenched on the microphone and his gold lashes forming crescent moons on his flushed cheeks.

Zack had unzipped his leather jacket (and typically was bare-chested underneath) and his raven bangs hung in his face as he hunched over his bass, teeth indenting his lower lip.

Cloud was cool and calm, seeming to be unaffected by the sweltering stage lights like the rest of the band; his fingers were a pale blur on the fret board as he belted out a solo that had the whole room shaking as people jumped and threw rock gestures in the air.

Riku was grinning broadly, his drums keeping the whole song together as he nodded his head in time with the snare.

"There's no way those talent scouts can walk away from this gig without signing these guys," Xion marvelled, looking envious despite the compliment as she shoved Axel back into his seat, deterring his attempts to kiss her.

"You're right," Kairi agreed, her eyes locked on Riku with soft affection. "I think they could go really far."

"Mmm," Sora murmured. His eyes were hooded slightly as he sipped his drink and watched Roxas. He felt breathless again, but it was different this time. The sight of the moisture that shone on the blonde's skin was causing his pulse to pick up and heat to coil in his stomach, and that voice was just so...

_Would be much better used if he was screaming in pleasure._

WHOA. Where the _fuck_ had that come from?!

Sora felt heat creeping in his face as he looked at Kairi and Xion guiltily, as if he had said the inappropriate comment out loud. When he noted with relief that they were still watching the band, nodding their heads or tapping their feet, he sighed and pushed his fingers through his bangs, feeling his warm forehead.

_Can't believe I am getting turned on by his singing... of all the times..._

* * *

A twenty-song set later, and Sora was feeling more than uncomfortable. His 'problem' hadn't gone away, no matter what he did. Every time he looked at the _ridiculously _sexy blonde on stage he got a mindful of dirty images and a lapful of _awkwardness_. When the band finally finished their third encore and said goodnight to the room, he thought he would cry simultaneously with relief and frustration. How he was going to face Roxas tonight and control himself after watching what his brain was basically considering to be a peep show, he had no idea.

"You look a bit flushed, Sora," Xion commented mildly as they headed down the steps onto the main floor, crossing the emptying room and knocking the door to the right of the stage, VIP passes in their hands. "Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Wh-what?!" Sora squeaked. "N-no!"

Kairi raised an eyebrow but said nothing. A dirty-blonde guy with a mullet had come to the door, chewing on a lip piercing and eyeing them all suspiciously.

"We're guest of Reizones?" Kairi ventured, and his eyes flicked down to the yellow laminated cards hanging around their necks.

"Oh, so you're the guys they're waiting on. Took you long enough," he drawled, swigging from a bottle of water.

"Well excuse us for waiting until the room cleared a little," Xion huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest but quickly dropping them when the guy's eyes dropped to the cleavage she had created.

"Whatever, follow me," mullet-guy grunted, pushing himself off the door frame as if it was the most difficult action he had ever done. The corridor he led them down was considerably less pleasant than the room they had just been in. There was no paint or wallpaper on the walls, just plain plaster that was slightly mouldy looking in the top corners, and there were trailing leads and busted amps littered in their path.

They were led into a large room with old red sofas pushed up against the walls and a kitchenette on the far wall. The members of Reizones were draped over the furniture like dead dolls, panting and drinking water through straws because they couldn't be bothered to lift the bottles to their lips. Zack was collapsed in a bean bag, and looked on first glance to be asleep. The only indication that he was conscious was the slowly lowering water-level in the bottle held in his hand and the occasionally slurp as air got caught in his straw.

"Riku!" Kairi squealed, performing an impressive running dive on her boyfriend who was sprawled over a couch, successfully winding him. "You guys were amazing!" she gushed, bouncing up and down in his lap as he coughed and spluttered on the water he had just taken down his windpipe.

Cloud, the only person who was maintain relative composure, gave her a nod of thanks as he sipped delicately from his straw.

"Yeah, I practically orgasmed it was so good," Xion drawled, causing Sora to flinch and duck his head, hoping his bangs would hide the heat he could surely feel returning to his cheeks.

"Where's your singer?" Axel asked suddenly as he hoisted himself up on the kitchen counter. "What was his name? Roxy?"

"Oh, he's in the dressing room I think," Zack suddenly mumbled around his straw, causing bubbles to rise in his bottle. They waited for more, but he was silent again, quietly sipping his drink like a kid with his daily glass of milk.

"Sora, go find him," Xion commanded from her chosen perch on a high stool next to the counter Axel was swinging his legs off of.

"What?! Why me?!" Sora yelped, jumping and looking like he had been caught with his hand down his pants... _Stop with the dirty thoughts Sora!_

In truth, he had just been thinking of going to look for Roxas, but now he was completely flustered.

_Can she read my mind or something? Does she know what happened when I was watching him...?_

"Because you're the only person still stood up, dumbass."

"Oh. Right... I'll um... go look for him then..."

The brunette quickly retreated from the room, into the unpleasant corridor, and shut the door behind him with a snap. For a few seconds, he had been sure that Xion suspected him. He wasn't even sure why he was getting so worked up, all he had done was get a bit over-excited earlier... it wasn't even as if anyone would have noticed _physically_, he had kept his legs firmly crossed for the entire set.

_Roxas sure as hell could uncross them for me – STOP!_

His shook his head violently, as if hoping it would dislodge the perverse thoughts that were plaguing his brain, and set about trying to find the dressing room that Zack had mentioned.

The backstage area retreated quite far back but wasn't widely spread. All of the rooms were attached to one simple corridor with no forks in the road to confuse him. The doors were all labelled with a roughly scrawled piece of lined paper, saying things like 'Instrument Storage' and 'Janitor's Closet'. Eventually, right at the back of the building where it was considerably cooler and less well-lit, he came across a door with peeling red paint that had 'Dressing Room' stuck on it at an angle.

It didn't even occur to him to knock as he turned the handle and strolled into the room. In hindsight, he probably should have, but right at that moment he found himself fully appreciating his carelessness as he was treated to the sight of a pale expanse of toned stomach. Roxas was stood with his arms in the air as he pulled a black polo shirt over his head and Sora had walked in just before the black cotton fell down to cover the marvellous sight.

"Oh, hey there Sora," Roxas said easily, his voice sounding hoarse. He was holding his wrist awkwardly and wincing as he stuffed his stage clothes in his bag and drew the zip. Sora noticed none of this however. His brain was frazzling in his skull over the sight he had just witnessed. Normally it wouldn't have bothered him to see a little bit of skin but in his flustered and considerably _aroused_ state, this latest development was too much for him to cope with.

He didn't realise he had crossed the room until he was met with questioning cerulean blue eyes that were only inches away from him. When had he backed Roxas up against the lockers? He worried his lower lip, staring at the perfect mouth in front of him that had been singing with such passion and desperation earlier.

_Wonder if he'd make the same noises for me..._

"Sora?" The lips moved, startling him out of his perverse reverie but not lifting the red haze from his vision. He looked back up to Roxas's eyes which were full of question and... anticipation?

"Um..." he said awkwardly, his breathing coming in hot pants.

"What are you doing?" Hot air from that perfect mouth ghosted over Sora's lips, and his gaze returned to it as a pink tongue poked out to swipe over chapped skin before retreating back into it's owner's mouth.

Something snapped in Sora.

* * *

Roxas eyed the boy curiously, feeling his heart rate increase. "Sora-MMPH!"

And just like that, the brunette has shoved him up against the lockers, fisted his hands in the front of the black polo shirt and crashed their lips together. Sora was practically gasping as he feverishly pressed his full body up against Roxas's slimmer frame, his teeth biting roughly at the lips Roxas had just licked.

Roxas didn't even need to think about it. He had been wanting this since Xion's party, had craved the feeling of soft, well-cared for lips upon his. Chapped lips parted all too willingly and in near-animalistic fervour, Sora plunged his tongue forcefully past them to explore the insides of Roxas's teeth and caress the blonde's own tongue.

They broke apart and smashed their lips back together, again and again, tilting their heads back and forth anxiously to change the angle, their breathing becoming more erratic, hot gasps against each other's faces as Roxas's hands secured themselves in chocolaty spikes. Sora's grip on the shirt tightened, drawing their torsos closer together. Shirts rode up as they moved against each other, and Roxas gave a hoarse moan when he felt the red-hot skin of Sora's stomach against his own.

Sora growled and left Roxas's lips, drawing a quiet moan of need from the boy that escalated into a surrendering groan when he began to nip and kiss his way along the defined jaw line, aligning their hips and grinding into the slight blonde.

He came across Roxas's throat, exposed and pale as the blonde rested his head against the lockers and sighed with pleasure. Sora dragged his tongue in a bold line up the line of the muscles in Roxas's throat, before following the track back down with scraping incisors, grinning as he saw fine blonde hairs rise near Roxas's hairline. His hands had left the collar of the shirt and were insistently pushing the bottom of it further up the blonde's torso, tracing over prone ribs, the indent of his navel, the prominent hipbones.

"Oh god," Roxas whimpered when Sora started sucking harshly on his neck, alternating between teeth and tongue, causing pain and then salving it. The tanned hand were now exploring further up, over his chest, tracing the outlines of muscles and his collarbone. Thumbs calloused from painting brushed over his already raised nipples, eliciting a harsh gasp from his aching throat as he clenched his fingers roughly in Sora's hair.

Sora stopped sucking the slightly salty skin under Roxas's ear and pulled back to admire the wonderfully purple bruise he had caused, that stood out from the other bruises because of the intense colour. He licked it proudly and then bit Roxas's earlobe.

"I couldn't hold back any more," he groaned breathlessly as their hips grinded. They could feel how excited they were as the tightened crotches of their jeans constantly brushed against each other, dragging out gasps from Sora and sounds that were melodious even in the form of moans from Roxas.

"M-me neither," the blonde replied, shuddering as Sora's hot breath swept over his neck, and then the wet, strong tongue of the brunette was tracing the shell of his ear and he was crying out, letting Sora move his knee in between his legs, kicking Roxas's feet out so that the blonde was slightly shorter than the brunette.

Sora's mouth returned to his in wild, fleeting brushes against each other. "Roxas..." God, it felt so good to hear his name coming from that mouth, it was like a delicious sin that he couldn't wait to indulge in. His slender hands left that soft brown hair that was like feathers, trailing down the muscled back and grabbing Sora's hips.

"S-Sora," he gasped in return, and was rewarded by a proper kiss, their tongues intertwining hotly as hands continued to explore each other and provoked rumbling moans and needy whimpers.

"I want you... so badly," Sora hissed, eyes rolling back when Roxas pulled on his hips, pressing their arousals against each other forcefully. "I can't ignore it any more Roxy..."

"Quit it with the nickname, I'm not a girl," the blonde replied, equally breathless as his thumbs hooked on the waistband on Sora's jeans.

"Heh, but you're just so _cute_, Roxy," Sora growled, emphasising this statement with a thrust of his hips. He pulled his face away from Roxas's and admired the sight in front of him. "I mean, look at you, all flushed and sweaty and pushed up against the lockers like that..."

"Shut up," Roxas muttered, leaning forward and capturing their mouths in another fervent kiss, trying to reassert some control over the situation as he pushed his tongue into Sora's mouth. Subtly, he began backing the brunette up and Sora didn't realise until the backs of his knees caught on the bench behind him and he fell backwards, taking Roxas with him.

Roxas pinned tanned wrists to the bench as he straddled defined hips, admiring the view and effectively turning the tables. He smirked, panting harshly. "Now look who's all _flushed_ and _sweaty_ and _pushed_ against the bench like that," he said in a croaking voice, hunching over the prone brunette and returning Sora's previous ministrations on the tanned boy's neck.

"H-hey!" Sora gasped, eyes heavily lidded as he got a dose of his own medicine. The feeling of the small but perfectly straight teeth on his throat followed by the quick swipe of that teasing tongue was driving him completely crazy. "You're n-not supposed to do that... it's m-my job!"

He shivered as the blonde chuckled almost maliciously against his flushed skin. "There is _no way_," these words were emphasised with a roll of his slender hips that provoked incredible friction between their crotches, "I am going to let _you_ of all people dominate me like that." This statement was finished with a bruising kiss, Sora's tongue being completely subdued by Roxas's suddenly very forceful, insistent one that traced the hot wet insides of Sora's mouth as they shared groans and oxygen.

"B-bastard," Sora gasped, eyes rolling back again as Roxas continued to grind himself into Sora's lap.

The blonde grinned, satisfied that he had made their point. He pressed another kiss to Sora's lips and then sat up, earning bewildered looks from the brunette.

"We should get back to the others," Roxas sighed, looking every inch as regretful as Sora felt. He climbed off the brunette and adjusted his jeans before helping Sora to his feet, pulling the boy close for one last breathless kiss. "We'll talk later... and continue where we left off." He winked, and the narcoleptic blushed furiously.

"How the hell am I going to keep my hands off you for an entire _evening_?" he wailed as they emerged into the corridor and bumped straight into Xion.

* * *

_Like I said... quality over quantity, right? ;)  
Hope this was a suitable apology for my neglect of this fic.  
Now, feed the review monster, or he will eat me instead T.T_


	13. Lights and Sounds

_DUNNO.  
So yeah. Chapter thirteen. It's an interesting chapter.  
STILL NO LEMON. But there may be some citrusy goodness in there somewhere.  
Xion rocks my socks.  
The song this week is Lights and Sounds by Yellowcard._

_**Disclaimer: **I DON'T OWN ANYTHING._**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Thirteen

Lights and Sounds

The knowing smirk on Xion's face was more than enough indication to Sora and Roxas that she knew _exactly_ what they had been doing just moments ago. She shifted her weight onto one leg, her slim hip jutting out at an angle and causing the short shirt to swish out to the side. Thin arms crossed over a small chest as she eyed their flustered expressions and the bunched creases on the front of Roxas's polo shirt.

"Well, I came to take you upstairs to the after-party, but it looks like you two had your own little party going here," she said slyly, her small white teeth flashing as they caught the light off the bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. "Axel owes me thirty bucks."

Sora resisted the urge to smack himself in the face, opting for shifting from foot to foot with a bashful expression. There was no way he could deny what Xion already knew, he was a terrible liar and Xion always seemed to know _everything_ that was going on. A glance to the side showed that Roxas had realised the same thing. He was straightening his shirt out, head ducked with a furious blush showing through his bangs.

"You and Axel made a bet?" Sora asked, trying his best to sound offended despite the compromising situation. Granted, Xion hadn't exactly caught them _doing_ anything, but she may as well have.

"Yep, he bet me that you guys would take at least a month to realise you like each other," Xion replied with a wicked grin. "I bet on less than a week. Cheers guys, you just helped me earn my food money for the next week."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Do us a favour and keep this to yourself, Xion," he sighed, running a hand through his golden spikes agitatedly. Sora cast him an offended glance and Roxas quickly defended himself. "Not that I'm ashamed or anything, but I think we could do without all the attention we'll get if everyone finds out tonight... Besides, we still need to talk this over."

"What's there to talk about?" Xion asked, voicing Sora's thoughts. "You want to fuck each other, right?"

She bit back hysterics when both boys turned an illuminating shade of crimson and abruptly averted their gazes, coughing loudly. "Oh for god's sake, stop pussyfooting around each other!" she groaned, flicking her bangs out of her eyes. "I'll spell it out for you two, since you're too 'sweet and innocent' to voice your own dirty thoughts!"

She turned to Sora. "Basically, Roxas thinks you're a cute little hottie and wants to bone you." Then she faced Roxas who looked like he was having a brain haemorrhage. "And Sora has been obsessed with you ever since he met you and wants your ass for himself. There, all sorted, right?"

"Xion," Sora growled whilst trying his hardest to prevent a nosebleed from happening, "You are _so_ dead."

"Agreed," Roxas hissed through his fingers. He had covered his face with his hands in utter mortification.

"Well at least it's out in the open now," Xion said, looking pleased with herself. At the glares she received from the both of them, however, she sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, I won't tell anyone!"

"Not even Axel," Roxas warned. He had a murderous glint in his eyes that made even the brazen Xion flinch.

"Fine," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "I'm going back to the others. You know where the after party is, at least _try_ and turn up to it after you've sucked each other's faces off." She spun on her heel, skirt flaring out dangerously, and began to stalk away. "Oh and by the way..." she said suddenly, pausing and looking over her shoulder with a wicked grin, "You might want to sort out who's top and who's bottom. I can't wait to hear the result."

She quickly excused herself then; both boys looked like they were having conniptions.

"I can't believe that girl," Sora groaned, too embarrassed to look Roxas in the eye.

"I'm going to kill her," Roxas growled. They stood in the badly lit corridor for a few moments, shifting awkwardly but not willing to give up the alone-time they had been granted just yet.

"She's not exactly subtle, is she?" Sora said softly, a light laugh lifting his voice. "Though I am glad to know that you feel the same as me."

"Yeah, nice to know that you 'want my ass for yourself'," Roxas quoted. They caught each other's eyes. Sora snorted, and that was the trigger that caused them to dissolve into fits of laughter. They couldn't help it; the situation was _too_ funny, even if they were the butt of the joke. 'Butt' being the operative word.

When the haze of hysterics lifted from their eyes, they realised that Roxas had somehow during their fits of sniggers pressed Sora against the wall. Their lips hovered inches from each other as they exchanged giggling breaths that dusted over their lips like powder-fine sand. Roxas's hands were on Sora's hips. The brunette had placed his on Roxas's shoulders.

Roxas leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes and swallowing. His laughter had given way to shaky breaths and a quickened heart beat. "So what do you want to do?" he murmured against Sora's lips, their mouths barely touching as he did so. "About us, I mean?"

"I don't know," Sora replied truthfully, his respiration equally shaky. "This is kind of a new experience for me; I've never liked another guy before..." The words came out easily enough, but it was one of the hardest things to try and grasp the concept of.

"That makes two of us," the blonde replied. He tilted his chin forward slightly, causing their mouths to brush. "But I can't deny how... how..."

"How right it feels?" the brunette finished. They opened their eyes and regarded each other curiously.

"Yeah," Roxas breathed. His eyes slid closed again as he closed the distance once more and they started to kiss; soft, querying kisses, as if they were familiarising themselves with each other's lips. Sora sighed in content and laced his fingers behind Roxas's neck, pulling the blonde closer as he intensified the kissing by opening his mouth and probing the crease of Roxas's lips with his tongue. Roxas parted them and their tongues lanced with each other, growing more competitive as their breathing sped up, hot gusts of air landing on their cheeks as they breathed heavily through their noses.

"You know," Roxas gasped as they briefly parted, "Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean you get to top."

"We're really going to talk about that?" Sora groaned, his face flushing again. "Like I said, this is all new to me, I haven't exactly gotten used to the idea of... of..."

"Of what? The fact that one of us is going to have to be fucked?" Roxas smirked when Sora blushed even more.

"Let's just take this one step at a time," Sora gasped. Roxas had slid his cool hand under the brunette's shirt and was tracing his fingers over the defined muscles of his stomach. "I'd rather we established some semblance of a relationship before we turned to... those subjects... ah!" He let out an audible moan and cringed when it echoed loudly down the corridor, but he couldn't help it; Roxas had pushed his shirt even further up and had bent down to capture Sora's left nipple between his teeth.

"Roxas!" he hissed in mortified lust, his mouth parting and his eyes sliding closed as that devilish tongue flicked out at the hardening nub, teasing it to full alertness. He felt the blonde smirk against his hot skin, but was immediately distracted when one guitar-calloused hand travelled down to grope his growing arousal boldly. The blonde certainly seemed to be getting into the swing of it, considering he had never had sexual relations with the same sex before.

"I'm just doing what feels natural," Roxas murmured as he began to massage Sora's bulging crotch, dragging a ragged moan from the brunette. He continued his ministrations to the more innocent boy's chest, moving to the other nipple once he had left sufficient teeth marks on the first.

"We c-can't do this here..." Sora gasped. He tried to push on Roxas's shoulders, but the blonde caught his wrists and brought them together over his head, pressing them to the wall with one hand while the other returned to massaging Sora's almost fully erect cock. Sora's protests were silenced as the blonde's head came back up for another searing kiss, sufficiently distracting the brunette whilst Roxas started to work on the buttons of Sora's jeans. He swallowed the artist's gasps as his hand slipped under the waistband of Sora's boxers and the long fingers wrapped firmly around his silken length.

"You're _really_ hard, Sora," he purred, capturing Sora's plump lower lip between his small incisors and nibbling gently as his hand slid over Sora's trembling cock, his index finger pressing on the vein running along the underside and his thumb sweeping over the head to find thick fluid already gathering there. "You must be enjoying this _a lot_," Roxas continued. Sora was panting harshly and straining against Roxas's hold on him a little. If he really wanted to, Roxas mused, he could probably break out of the slimmer boy's hold quite easily, but he never did.

"What if someone sees us?" It was more of a mewl than a question, as Roxas's fingers continued to tease the brunette's length.

"They've all gone upstairs, remember?" Roxas replied huskily. He buried his face in the junction between Sora's neck and shoulder, inhaling the scent of ocean and cologne. "Dammit Sora, I've been waiting for this for_ever_, I'm having trouble restraining myself..." Delicious images of screwing the brunette into the wall were racing through his mind like a montage of sin, each one more immoral and corrupt than the last. And yet despite his wicked thoughts, Roxas mused that if heaven could be expressed through feelings and actions, this was it, pressed up against the whimpering chocolate-haired boy that had completely swept him off his feet. Here, in this dingy, badly lit corridor with the peeling paint and the damp smell, Roxas had established his own little piece of heaven, and it only got better with every moan, gasp and lament from the tanned angel's lips.

But it was evident from the way Sora's knees were trembling, and the perspiration on his face, that they were moving too fast. They had crossed a monumental threshold not five minutes ago by giving in to feelings they had been trying so hard to ignore. Roxas's past had enough influence on him to let the blonde take such reactions and feelings in his stride, but Sora, whilst not exactly virginal, was far more naive and raw with inexperience.

Sora was scared of his own urges.

Roxas swallowed his craving to make the boy his right there against the cracked concrete wall and slowly withdrew his hand from Sora's boxers. At Sora's half-relieved, half-bewildered expression, he pressed a chaste kiss to the boy's lips.

"I guess it can wait until later. Let's go celebrate, birthday boy." He pushed off the wall, releasing Sora's wrists before holding his hand out like a lord asking for a dance. Sora looked about and then placed his tanned hand in the paler one, their fingers immediately lacing as they started to make their way down the corridor. They followed the sounds of faint rock music, not speaking as their brains finally began to process what was happening.

_I kissed him, holy DAMN I kissed Roxas... So much for giving him time... _Sora's thoughts were like children in race cars, zooming in every which direction without much care for speed limits or motion sickness. It was making him dizzy, and the madness only increased with every squeeze of his hand from the blonde.

They reached a staircase. J-rock was echoing off the cavernous walls from the next floor up, and laughter and murmurs of conversation drifted in the air like mating songbirds.

Roxas paused on the first step and turned to look down at Sora. "Come over to mine tonight," he said suddenly, blurting it out even as a strawberry hue took to his face. Honestly, the amount of times the two of them had blushed over the past few days, they were surprised that their heads hadn't exploded yet.

"Wait – what?" Sora looked completely bewildered. Roxas noted that their entwined palms were perspiring slightly.

"Spend the night with me," he repeated, taking Sora's other hand and bringing it up to his mouth. He kept his eyes locked on the brunette's as he placed sweet butterfly kisses on the pads of Sora's fingers, noticing with an inner smirk that Sora swallowed hard at the semi-erotic sight.

"I don't know... Aren't we moving a bit fast?" Sora hazarded, still holding the expression of a rabbit caught in headlights.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to," Roxas purred, stepping into Sora's personal space and taking the other boy by the chin, enjoying the extra height that the stairs gave him. "Just come home with me... besides," he continued, letting his walls drop as he stared into the pools of cobalt gazing up at him almost wondrously, "I don't know if I can bear to be away from you now that I know you feel the same way."

He leaned down and pressed his lips first to Sora's forehead, and then his mouth. It was brief and chaste, but Roxas poured all his emotions through that little window of time and Sora received them loud and clear. When Roxas pulled away and released Sora's chin, the brunette was grinning.

"Alright," he said, flashing his teeth in his classic winning smile that made him look so much like an overexcited puppy.

Roxas returned the smile, before turning and dragging Sora up the stairs. "Great," he murmured happily, giving Sora's hand another little squeeze. It felt like the heaven they had established a short while ago with gasps and electric touches was following them around, encasing them a little bubble of gooey feelings. A private bubble that would stretch over the heads of crowds if they were physically parted, keeping them connected whilst isolating them from the rest of the world. And they both sensed it, drew comfort from it, as they ascended into thumping bass, chinking glasses and toasts to the future.

* * *

"Here," Kairi said softly, pressing a wrapped box into Sora's hands. The paper was (typically) pink and fluorescent, reflecting the lights that flitted across the room as if searching for victims to drag onto the dance floor. The upper level of the club was truly a fantastic place to host a VIP after party. The free-for-all bar was furnished in deep mahogany with waiters in tuxedos. Girls in nice dresses weaved through the throngs of bodies with trays of drinks and food. There were private booths lining the walls, like individual sitting rooms with coffee tables, sofas and wall lamps, as well as screens that dulled the music thumping through the room so that one could hold a conversation without shouting. The dance floor was relatively empty for now, but no doubt it would fill up. A karaoke machine stood in the corner, daring people to use it.

"What's this?" Sora asked with a chuckle, eyeing the greeting tag attached to the present. Kairi had drawn a little chibi doodle of she and Sora hugging and smiling, and while it wasn't the best piece of art, the clear effort that had gone into it touched him.

"It's a little something from me and Riku," she said, setting her drink on their coffee table and sitting back. They were currently in a booth with Riku, Roxas and Cloud. Musical people milled around, throwing words of congratulations or birthday wishes into the booth.

"But you guys already gave me money!" Sora protested with alarm.

"I know, but we saw this on the way through town today and had to get it for you," she said with a smile. "Open it!"

Sora rolled his eyes and tore off the wrapper. He frowned when he pulled out a black box. He lifted the lid to find a new moleskin sketchpad, artist's fineliner pens and copic markers. All the tools he had been lusting over in his aspiration to become a manga artist.

"Whoa - you guys!" he cried, picking up a marker pen and cracking the lid off, sniffing the nib and picking up the smell of professional ethanol. "These things aren't cheap!"

"Like I said, we couldn't resist getting it for you," Kairi giggled, watching him coo over the artist's tools with a fond expression on her face. She glanced at Roxas and noticed him watching the brunette with a similar expression – a serene smile stretched his lips and he almost looked like a proud parent. He was holding his own present from her and Riku, a sheet music notebook and a voucher for the large music store in town, worth enough money to buy himself the new amp he had been drooling over for months.

"He's very cute," a chiming giggle sounded in Roxas's ear, making him jump. He whipped around in his seat to see a girl with honey coloured ringlets and forest green eyes that looked like they could see your very soul.

"Aerith!" he cried in surprise, pulling the slight girl into a firm hug. "I thought you didn't like parties like this?"

She smiled, squeezing his arm before jerking her head over to the bar where Zack was stood with his hands on his hips and talking animatedly. "He really wanted to celebrate with me," she said, a secret grin dancing across her features briefly, "and I thought I would brave the noise and the crowds for the evening. It's worth it to celebrate with you all."

She looked past him to the grinning brunette who was already making use of his new art tools by drawing a caricature of Kairi, who was pulling a pouting pose and trying very hard not to move. Riku was looking over Sora's shoulder with reserved interest, his silver hair framing his strong features and icy eyes.

"Not your usual type," Aerith commented almost slyly, a knowing look in her eyes. "There's a distinct lack of diamonds and breasts there, Roxas."

"Just because those girls were my customers, doesn't mean they were my type," Roxas muttered, crossing his arms. Aerith was treading a fine line and she seemed to know it.

"I'm just making an observation Roxas," she said softly, still smiling. "I'm happy you've found someone like him."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw the way you were looking at him," she commented, sipping a glass of lemonade daintily. "He looks at you in the same way, you know. It's like you two have got your own private universe that you're sharing. I know love when I see it, Roxas."

Roxas accidentally inhaled his beer.

"Wh-WHAT?!" he spluttered through coughs, Cloud thumping him absently on the back as he watched Sora work on his drawing. He was already done with the line art and was colouring it in with the copic markers. Kairi was trying to look now that she didn't have to pose anymore, but he kept holding the sketchbook in her face so that she could only see the back of it. Riku was smirking and watching her with affection.

"You heard me," she said in his ear. The sofa suddenly shifted under them, and they looked around to find Tifa and Zack plopping themselves down in the booth, carrying trays of shots.

"Let's get this party STARTED!!" Zack hollered, passing out shots of what looked suspiciously like absinthe.

"Tifa!" Sora called, getting up and climbing over Kairi to get to Zack's sister who was stuck in bartender mode despite the fact she was supposed to be having a night off, and was tidying up all the empty beer bottles on the table.

"Hey Sora!" she cried, enveloping him a hug and crushing him with her breasts.

"T-Tifa... hurts..." he winced as she aggravated his injuries. He was in truth more scared of her crushing the picture. As soon as she released him he closed the sketchpad and put it in the black art box out of Kairi's sight. He would finish it later and give it to her as a present. Maybe she could put it up at her desk at work.

"Hi Tifa," Cloud choked out, sounding like he had just been eating sand. His normally schooled features were dusted with cherry blossom pink. Tifa immediately adopted a similar expression, but any answer she had prepared was cut short by her older (and louder) brother standing up and raising his shot glass.

"I would like to make a speech!" Zack cried as if he was the mayor of Midgar announcing the council news. Everyone picked up a glass of alcohol, save for Aerith who clutched at her lemonade, and turned their faces expectantly towards the bassist who had been dubbed "the puppy".

"Well, I have quite a lot of things to celebrate tonight," he started, putting on a serious tone as if he was giving a speech at a wedding. "I have some of the most amazing band mates I could ever wish for, and I couldn't think of any better people to go to the top with. It's also these guy's birthdays," he pointed at Sora and Roxas who flashed identical grins at him, "_and_ Aerith and I have one other thing to tell you..."

His hand had found hers and their fingers were intertwined. They had expressions which were a mixture of pure elation and serene bliss. Zack took a deep breath. "Aerith's pregnant, guys!! I'm gonna be a Dad!!"

There was a moment where nobody said anything. Heck, nobody even _respired_. The sounds of the party tried to infiltrate the booth, that is until everyone exploded at once.

"Oh my god!" Tifa cried, tears immediately forming in her eyes as she flung herself at her brother and his girlfriend. "Congratulations you guys!! I'm going to be an Auntie!"

Cloud and Roxas gave Zack brotherly hugs, looking absolutely flabbergasted, and kissed Aerith on the cheeks. Sora and Riku shook their hands and Kairi just cried with happiness.

"Didn't expect _that_," Riku laughed breathlessly when everyone had calmed down a little bit. "And here I thought you two were going to be all traditional and wait until marriage!"

"In time," Zack said with a cheeky wink, before clearing his throat and resuming his 'speech-giving' pose. He raised his glass, and it was followed by various other drinks being raised into the air. "To us!" he called simply, looking like Christmas had come early.

"To us!" everyone chorused, downing their drinks. As soon as the glasses hit the coffee table, everyone was up and swarming around the couple, Kairi and Tifa feeling Aerith's stomach and offering to be her baby-helpers whilst the men clapped Zack on the back and teased him.

Roxas and Sora shared a look through all the commotion, and it was clear that they were thinking the same thing.

_Screw Seifer – there is no way he is going to ruin something so perfect._

* * *

Tongues clashed fiercely and walls shook as a door was flung open forcefully, two bodies wrapped up in each other as they entered the white apartment. Roxas moaned loudly as he was thrust roughly against the wall, and then Sora's mouth was on his neck, growling possessively and pinning his hips there with strong hands.

They had left the party early in the end – they had held out for three hours, only sneaking off the bathroom once, but in the end it all got too much. People were starting to get merry, couples were pairing off and Zack was trying to get everyone to go out clubbing. Knowing that they would probably internally combust if they resisted each other any longer, the boys had excused themselves and taken a taxi home.

The lights were forgotten as the two boys made their way through the cavernous apartment, slamming each other into things in their desire to have each other. They paused in the living room, Roxas's ass resting against the back of the huge white couch as Sora smothered him in white-hot touches and teasing kisses.

"I think I'm going to go mad," Roxas moaned as Sora grinded their hips together forcefully and laced his fingers into the golden threads of hair framing the blonde's face. "I _need_ you, Sora!"

Sora didn't reply – at least, not verbally; although he did give a particularly frustrated groan into Roxas's mouth before biting the singer's lower lip harshly. One of his hands left Roxas's hair and started to trek south, tugging insistently at the cursed black polo shirt that was separating him from Roxas's skin. Tanned fingers slipped under the cotton fabric and splayed over a pale stomach, radiating heat into the slimmer boy's skin.

Roxas was busying himself with Sora's shirt, which in his opinion had _far_ too many buttons for his liking, but his fingers stilled immediately when that hand on his stomach suddenly dipped, plucking at the waistband of his jeans and nudging the button open. The sound of the zipper being drawn cut through the heated atmosphere like petrol fumes, having a similar, intoxicating effect. And then that hand was slipping through the opening it had created and brushing over Roxas's very painful, very obvious arousal.

The blonde let out a particularly loud groan which Sora quickly swallowed, the brunette's tongue thrusting into his mouth like a gag and tracing perfect teeth. At the same time, his hand gingerly gripped the hard stiffness still hidden by Roxas's boxers, squeezing experimentally and eliciting a delicious shudder from the blonde.

"Want you," Sora breathed, fireworks exploding along his arms as he began to make increasingly confident strokes over Roxas's trembling cock, ignoring his own straining erection in favour of asserting his dominance over the blonde.

"Bedroom," Roxas gasped in reply. He had finally got the rest of the buttons undone and spread the shirt open to reveal the washboard abs and surfer's skin of the Destiny Islander. Fingers traced defined pectorals and then ran down Sora's sides, feeling how compact and strong the muscles were under the skin before coming to rest on the brunette's hips, skirting over the V shaped muscle-lines that dipped into Sora's boxers.

Sora nodded, grabbing the slimmer boy by the ass and lifting him easily. Roxas almost squeaked in surprise, before realising what was happening and wrapping his legs around Sora's waist. He would play submissive for now, he decided as Sora guided them into the bedroom, all the while they exchanged saliva and groans whilst their tongues battled over which mouth they should be in. Dominance would come once he could think straight.

Roxas was dropped unceremoniously on the bed, and no sooner had he bounced on the mattress then Sora was covering his prone body with his own, scooting them up the bed and pushing his knee between Roxas's legs. Their groans rose to the ceiling as ankles locked and jeans chafed against each other.

"Get this _off_," Sora growled, pulling at the polo shirt like a confused wolf. Roxas lifted his arms above his head and the brunette yanked the garment off roughly, his mouth immediately descending to the pale chest. He peppered the cool skin with bites, licks and kisses, while his hands returned to Roxas's lower body and started to pull his jeans down.

"Ah!" Roxas cried as Sora angrily bit down on his already hard nipple, the sinful tongue flicking around it and coaxing it to further erection.

"Lift your hips," the brunette snarled predatorily against his skin. Roxas complied, and then his jeans were sliding down his legs. He quickly kicked his trainers and socks off, and the denim was pulled over his feet, leaving him only in his boxers whilst Sora was still much too clothed for his liking.

He didn't get a chance to return the favour though, because Sora's hand had snaked into his boxers and gripped his length firmly as the boy moved to his other nipple. "Oh god..." the blonde breathed, trembling involuntarily as Sora's tongue traced hair-raising patterns on his chest and his hand began to pump on his rigid cock in shallow strokes. "Oh _fuuuuck_..."

"I knew that voice would be better suited for this situation," Sora chuckled darkly, all traces of any supposed naivety gone from his demeanour as he jerked Roxas off insistently. He brought his head up to Roxas's, which was dropped back on the red sheets as an equally red flush stole over his exposed skin. The blonde's hair framed his head as it splayed out in soft spikes on the blankets, and his hooded eyes were an even more intense shade of blue than normal, glowing with arousal and overwhelming pleasure. Sora crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss, increasing his hand's movements and smirking as a particularly guttural moan burst from the soft, plump lips he was attacking.

"_Sora_!" Roxas cried, his hands frantically scrambling over said brunette's back and shoulders and tugging at the shirt that still covered them. "Oh my – fuck!"

Yes, that voice was definitely the voice of a screamer, Sora mused as he shrugged out of his shirt and lowered his body to Roxas's, their bare chests pressed together and causing them to harmonize a simultaneous moan into each other's gasping mouths. Deciding to test his theory, Sora gave Roxas one last kiss, hard and fast, and then began to kiss his way down the heaving chest, his hands tugging at the blonde's black boxers and pushing them partway down the slim thighs.

Roxas thought he was going to have a stroke when Sora's heated breath _finally_ ghosted over his twitching cock. The brunette was looking at him with a wicked smirk, clearly enjoying the power he was exerting over the blonde, his fingers tracing irritatingly teasing circles on Roxas's inner thighs.

"Do you want me to?" Sora asked, knowing the answer but liking the way Roxas responded by fisting his hands in chocolately spikes and pushing Sora's head further down.

"Do it, or I'll flip you over and just fuck your mouth," he hissed in a nearly threatening manner that made Sora's own erection strain excitedly against his restraining jeans.

"When you put it that way, I guess I have no choice," he chuckled.

"Oh- oh god fucking _daaammn!"_ Roxas hollered as wet heat engulfed him. Sora's lips were sliding down his pulsing dick, pulled tight as he exercised a little suction on the rigid flesh and his hands continued tracing patterns over the blonde's quivering thighs. "Sora! I... Oh my _shitting_ fuck!"

That dirty mouth was getting too much for Sora. Groaning loudly and sending vibrations over the dick in his mouth, he reached down and popped the fastening on his jeans, sighing through his nose as the tension eased a little bit on his erection. He descended his mouth on Roxas's cock until he was about halfway down, pausing to let his tongue lap over the swollen head and increasing the suction.

"Shhhhiiiiittt," Roxas hissed, his hands tightening in Sora's hair almost painfully. "Fucking hell Sora, that feels _amazing_..."

The brunette grinned around his erection and then continued to take more of Roxas into his mouth, going slowly so as not to gag. All the while his wicked tongue was flicking over the sensitive head and dipping into the slit in the top, or pressing firmly against the vein that ran along the underside. His right hand was gripped around the base of Roxas's cock, holding it steady, whilst his left was now drawing its little circles over the blonde's tensing stomach.

Roxas bucked involuntarily when Sora sucked particularly hard, and let out a near-scream as it caused his cock to hit the back of Sora's throat – the grip around his sex tightened as Sora was caught by surprise, but managed to resist gagging. He paused for a moment, relaxing his throat muscles for a moment, and then continued sucking and tonguing Roxas as if nothing had happened. The fact that his cock was now lodged firmly at the back of Sora's throat nearly sent Roxas over the edge.

"Holy _shit_ Sora!" Those throat muscles were now working around the head of his dick, swallowing and contracting and drawing out copious amounts of precum. "I'm... fuck, I'm not going to last if you keep this up!"

Sora groaned again as Roxas's bedroom talk started to get too much for him. He reached down with one hand and pulled his length out of his boxers, stroking himself off desperately in a bid to ease some of the unbearable tension coiling in his stomach. He eased off of Roxas's cock enough to be able to speak, looking up at the flustered, thrashing blonde with bedroom eyes and mumbling, "I'm gonna make you come, Roxas."

Roxas nearly came there and then when he heard that and noticed what Sora was doing to himself. The very idea that Sora was getting off on this just as much as he was... it was too much to bear. "I'm so close!" he whimpered as the hot mouth descended on him again, resuming its suction as it bobbed up and down in his lap.

"_Come_." The slightly muffled word was all it took for the white hot coil inside him to snap, and then he was arching his back and bucking his hips up as he came in strong, hot spurts down the brunettes throat, yelling out Sora's name and nearly crying with relief. He tugged harshly on Sora's hair as the boy swallowed his seed, and this was all it took to send Sora over the edge too with a shaky moan. The brunette spilled in his hand, his limbs trembling as he released Roxas's sated member from between his lips and bowed his head, riding out his own orgasm.

There was silence for a few moments as they came back down to earth on the feathers of angel wings. Roxas's breathing was ragged as his chest heaved, his head collapsed on the bed and his fingers slowly massaging Sora's scalp as the brunette gasped and struggled to hold himself up.

"Here," he gasped eventually, grabbing a tissue from the nightstand and handing it to the brunette when he saw the pearlescent liquid dripping from Sora's fingers. Sora took it gratefully and cleaned his hand up, whilst Roxas pulled his boxers back over his hips. They didn't speak as they worked, merely catching each other's eye every now and then and sending each other bashful but sated smiles. Sora threw the tissue away and tucked himself back into his jeans before crawling up the bed and collapsing next to Roxas.

Sora draped his naked torso over Roxas's, their perspiration mingling as their breathing slowed. Chocolate spikes tickled Roxas's face as the brunette nestled his face into Roxas's neck. "That was... so good..." Sora mumbled sleepily.

Roxas chuckled and sifted his hands through Sora's hair, coaxing the brunette to relax. "Understatement, Sora," he replied with a yawn. Exhaustion was finally catching up to him and he found his eyes closing of their own accord. They hadn't even tucked themselves into bed, they were that tired.

Roxas gave into the powers of sleep when he noticed that Sora was already in the land of nod, his face serene as he slept on the blonde's chest. For the first time in years that night, Roxas didn't have a single nightmare as he dreamed of encounters to come and the boy asleep on his steadily rising and falling chest.

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_SHITE ENDING TO THE CHAPTER. But I hope you like :) Review monster wants feeding -looks at it nervously as it sidles out from under her bed- Save me T.T  
Screamer!Roxas tributed and credited to **TheDevilTheAngelandTheme**, my favourite reviewer (because she is as dirty minded as me :3)_


	14. Jefferson Aero Plane

_Hello again people! Are you ready for another installment of SoRoku loving?! Of course you are, you little perverts :P  
Just a quick note before we start, I have few new stories on my profile, and it would mean the world to me if you took the time to check them out. One is an AkuSora/Roku oneshot, and the other is the first chapter of my new Kingdom Hearts multi-chapter fic, which is a Roxiri/VenKairi fic. Do check them out!! :)  
The song this week is another Relient K one, 'Jefferson Aero Plane'. It's a very relaxing song that perfectly reflects their state of mind in this chapter :D  
Now then, on with the chapter!_

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own :(  
_**

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Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Fourteen

Jefferson Aero Plane

Sunlight blared through the French windows, stretching across the luxuriously furnished bedroom and over the red duvet which half-covered two sleeping boys. It seemed to pause, as if contemplating shining in their faces and waking them, and then thought better of it as the brunette shifted and nuzzled into the blonde's shoulder. Instead, the ray of light stretched out across the bottom half of the bed like a happy housecat, content to warm their feet until they woke up.

The brunette, still in his jeans and shirt from the night before, stretched his legs as they warmed in the sunlight, relieving them of cramps. His eyelashes fluttered on his cheeks before creaking open a few millimetres. The first thing he saw was fine strands of gold, resting lightly on healing skin. His eyes flickered closed again, and he smiled drowsily as his head rose and fell with the blonde's steady breathing.

Never had Sora felt so content before. In all the years gone by, and with all the girlfriends he had shared a bed with, never had Sora felt as relaxed and at ease with the world as he did now, tracing his fingers in loose circles over Roxas's bare chest and inhaling the blonde's unique smell of fresh paper and citrus fruits. A cool arm had encircled him sometime during the night, and the pale fingers were weaved gently into the hair at the nape of his neck. Roxas's light breaths were stirring his bangs slightly and their legs were tangled together.

Sora let out a sigh of satisfaction and nuzzled deeper into the crook of Roxas's neck. The blonde stirred and his breathing changed as he awoke to the sunlit room and the brunette snoozing on his chest.

"Morning," he mumbled, his free arm coming up to rub across his face whilst his other hand resumed playing with the fine chocolate hairs at the back of Sora's head. The blonde stretched, his legs trembling slightly as he tried to rid them of stiffness, and then he kissed Sora's forehead lightly.

"Good morning," Sora replied with a stifled yawn. His hand reached out blindly and caught Roxas's free arm by the wrist, pulling it towards him and kissing the palm of the blonde's hand. The fingers moved to sweep over his cheek and then into the thick hair above his ears, combing out the tangles.

They lay there for a while, basking in the lazy atmosphere that almost made them believe it was a Sunday, had it not been for the digital clock telling them otherwise. The sun shining through the double glazing had raised the temperature of the room by a few degrees, so it was pleasantly warm, almost like a late spring temperature.

The radio clicked on after a few minutes, indicating that it was nine o'clock and time to get up. DJ Demyx's catchy voice circulated on the air currents and glowing dust particles, and gently roused the boys from their dozing reverie.

"_It's three minutes past nine here in Midgar and the sun is shining like it's a summer's day! Safe to say the snow won't be here long, so if you haven't had your obligatory snowball fight, get out there before it melts…"_

"Breakfast?" Roxas mumbled, giving his companion a nudge. Sora nodded, causing his spikes to brush the blonde in the face, and then with an enormous sigh he heaved himself into a sitting position, pulling his legs from the tangled embrace they had been sharing with Roxas's unclothed ones. Roxas's hand left his hair as the singer also sat up, wincing as his ribs sent a sharp sting of pain through his body for a moment.

Sora rubbed his eyes and started trying to push his bangs out of his face. "So what's on the menu Chef?"

"Cereal, cereal and more cereal," Roxas replied, shutting off the radio and kicking his legs over the side of the bed. He stretched again, several bones clicking into place in his back, and then stood up, grabbing a white dressing gown off a chair.

"I'll take the pancakes."

"If you're going to make them yourself, then go for it."

"Some host you are," Sora huffed, getting off the bed and wandering over to the vanity table, taking a comb and attempting to tame his bed hair.

Roxas shrugged sleepily and stepped into a pair of slippers before trudging out of the room to brush his teeth. "You can borrow a t-shirt and boxers if you want," he called behind him as he went into the bathroom.

"You may have redeemed yourself," the brunette replied, shrugging off his creased shirt and opening the chest of drawers, rifling through them and trying not to mess up Roxas's clothes too much. He selected the largest t-shirt he could find because he didn't want to stretch any of his host's clothes, and then grabbed the first pair of boxers he found in the underwear drawer. Deciding he would change after a shower, he set them on the stool of the vanity table and then made the bed as he heard the tap running in the bathroom.

They emerged into the lounge, Roxas looking a thousand times more alert now that he had rid himself of morning breath with an extremely minty mouthwash, and Sora wearing just his dark blue jeans. The bruises on his tanned chest were almost gone four days after he had received them, and the swelling in his face was non-existent now.

Whilst his guest went to brush his own teeth, Roxas padded into the kitchen and set about preparing some semblance of breakfast. He really did only have cereal, so he selected the chocolatiest one for Sora and made himself a bowl of shredded wheat.

He didn't hear as the brunette guest entered the room and was pouring milk on the cereal when a pair of strong warm arms encircled his waist and his back was pressed against a hard chest. Sora rested his chin on the shoulder in front of him, turning his face to press a kiss to Roxas's cheek.

"You okay?" he asked, kissing along Roxas's jaw up to his ear and then back over his cheek.

"Yeah, you?" Roxas asked, setting the milk down and turning Sora's arms to hook his own over Sora's head. They kissed, just lips, pressing their bodies against each other as they refamiliarised themselves with each other's mouths. They sighed through their noses, lips brushing like butterfly wings and fingertips glancing off each other, as if teasing their hands with the prospect of intertwining.

They could have easily stood there, with their arms around each other and Roxas pressed up against the counter, for all eternity, but Sora's stomach gave a demanding growl that caused Roxas to give a spluttering snort into the kiss, thus halting all ministrations to their swollen lips with finality.

"Here," Roxas giggled apologetically, passing Sora his bowl and a spoon. They went back to the living room and sat at the small glass table near the French windows. They ate in silence, staring out of the window at the clear blue skies that had opened up overnight to reveal a sorely missed sun.

"So we're still heading to your parent's place this afternoon, right?" Roxas asked around a mouthful of shredded wheat. Sora had already finished his chocolate treat and drumming his fingers on the table, his energy levels already abnormally high for a university student at nine in the morning.

"If you want to," the brunette replied with a frown. He had in all honesty forgotten about his promise to his mother to attend the birthday meal she was planning. "Oh, I forgot to give your birthday present yesterday!"

"Oh crap, so did I," Roxas admitted, and they both got up and ran to the bedroom. Sora grabbed his rucksack and began to rummage through it, and Roxas picked up a wrapped package from the dresser. Sora's hand finally emerged victorious, holding what looked like a packet of documents.

They exchanged gifts and Sora eagerly ripped off the simple blue paper on his present, whilst Roxas undid the string holding his envelope together.

Sora frowned when he pulled out a CD-R. At first, he thought that Roxas had made a mix tape for him, but when he looked closer he realised that all of the songs were by Roxas, and none of them were standard Reizones songs. He opened the case and a found a small slip of paper tucked into the document clips. Roxas's neat writing was scrawled upon it:

_Sora, I know this is probably the most corny (and low-budget) birthday present you've ever received, but I made some recordings of a few songs I have been sitting on for a while that lacked inspiration before I met you. You gave me some good ideas and I was able to finish them, so I'm giving this to you as a kind of dedication to you. Tifa helped with the recording so this is from her as well. Happy birthday._

"Holy shit Roxas," Sora muttered under his breath. He counted the songs written on the front of the CD. Roxas had recorded _fifteen_ songs for him. That was more than the average album held. "I inspired you to finish fifteen songs?!"

Roxas didn't reply. He had opened his envelope to find a sheaf of approximately ten sheets of A4 paper. He realised as he leafed through them, that they were all sketches, small paintings and manga panels. The top page was a drawing of what was quite clearly Roxas on stage, wearing what he had been in on the night they had met. He was singing his heart out into the microphone and the stage lights were throwing shadows over his face that gave the piece a dramatic, dynamic feeling. The one underneath was of Reizones in their recording studio, in the midst of the music. All of the pictures were of similar themes, but were all done in various styles and mediums. There was even a black piece of paper with an intricate white chalk drawing on it.

"You drew all of these...?" Roxas breathed. They both looked at each other which astounded looks on their faces. And they both knew then that they had made the right choice in using their talents instead of money to create good presents. Both looked overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Happy late birthday," Sora laughed, his eyebrows still in his hairline and his voice slightly choked. "Look what you've done now! You've got me tearing up!"

"Speak for yourself," Roxas muttered, pretending to wipe sleep from his eyes. "You didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"Neither did you," Sora reminded him with a grin.

"Whatever. Thanks."

"Back at ya."

They shifted awkwardly, unsure if this occasion warranted a hug or a kiss. Eventually they chose on the former, giving each other an awkward man-hug and coughing loudly as they pulled away, busying themselves with finding somewhere to put their presents.

"I'm going for a shower," Sora announced, grabbing the towel Roxas had put out for him as well as the t-shirt and underwear he was borrowing. "Care to join me?" he suddenly said, his eyes gleaming wickedly.

"Sure, whatever," Roxas scoffed, cuffing Sora over the head and walking out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

When Sora walked in and set his things down on the counter, Roxas was already leaning into the shower cubicle and turning the water on, testing the heat of the spray before pulling back and pulling off his dressing gown.

Sora watched with a glazed expression as Roxas revealed his body once again, clad only in his boxer shorts. The blonde shivered in the cool air of the room, his nipples raising as light goosebumps broke out over his skin. "Hurry up," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and shivering slightly.

Sora blinked, realising he was staring, and quickly took off his jeans. They both paused for a moment when they were stood in their underwear, wondering if they should remove them too, but decided against it by silent agreement.

Roxas leaned in and checked the water temperature again, and finding it acceptable, jumped in straight under the spray, his hair immediately flattening against his scalp and his sodden bangs falling in his eyes. His soaked boxers clung to his ass and thighs and once again, Sora found himself gawking. Mentally slapping himself, Sora jumped into the large cubicle and pulled the glass door shut behind him, giving Roxas a playful shove in contest for the place under the shower head.

All thoughts of washing hair and body were forgotten as they found themselves in a slow, heated kiss, water cascading over their bodies as their tongues began to delve into each other's mouths, tracing teeth and lips. Sora gasped when his back came into contact with the cold tiled wall but quickly forgot as Roxas pressed himself against him and began to attack his neck with fluttering kisses and little nips and bites. Their hands ran over each other's torsos, drawing lines through the moisture that were quickly washed away, hands occasionally meeting and weaving together before continuing on their journeys across smooth wet skin and through sodden spikes.

"Sora," Roxas murmured, barely audible over the sound of the water. Steam was fogging up the glass walls of the cubicle and their gasps were echoing around the tiled room. Roxas pulled back slightly to find Sora panting heavily, his cheeks flushed and his darkened eyelashes forming thick black crescents on his skin. Water tripped over his face, moulding to run along the sides of his nose, over the curve of his upper lip and seeping into the seam of his lips before trickling down his chin and over his ravished neck which was now peppered in little teeth marks.

Roxas's hands located Sora's and their mouths reconnected, kissing harder and faster. Sora found his wrists being raised above his head clasped there with one pale hand. The other fastened itself in his dripping hair and formed a fist, tugging lightly on the chocolate locks as Roxas's tongue forced its way into Sora's mouth. He resisted a smirk as his ministrations elicited a long groan from Sora. Water pooled between their chests and overflowed to run down their ribs and over their hips which were grinding in slow circles, erections forced together.

"Time I repaid the favour," Roxas gasped against Sora's lips.

"Wha?" Sora replied, his mind having trouble functioning because of the delicious friction being exerted on his dick. Roxas's free hand left his hair and trailed down his chest, wasting no time as it dipped straight beneath the waist band of his boxers to grip his arousal firmly.

"I had all the fun last night," Roxas said in a dark tenor that drew delicious shudders from the brunette who was submitting so willingly to his whims. "I'm just returning the favour."

Sora was on the verge of a retort but Roxas started to stroke his hand up and down Sora's length, completely halting all trains of thought in Sora's very muddled and soggy brain. His eyes half-rolled back into his head as the water provided extra lubrication, and when Roxas pulled Sora's cock from his boxers the spray from the shower head rained down on it and provided little pinpricks of pleasure all along the length of it. If Roxas hadn't been holding Sora to the wall, he would have slid to the floor. He appeared to have lost all control of his legs and his head was tilted back as he began to really vocalise.

"Oh my goooood," Sora groaned, his fleshy pink lips parted to form a perfect 'o'. "R-Roxassss..." he hissed the last part of the blonde's name as he suddenly clenched his teeth and his brows drew together in a blissful frown. Roxas increased the pace, his mouth descending to Sora's chest as he lapped at the moisture covered nipples, biting and laving and licking up the water that continued to flow in little rivers over the sun-kissed skin.

Sora nearly lost his balance when his wrists were released but managed to press his palms flat against the wall either side of his hips. Roxas sank to his knees, his face and shoulders a glowing pink in the heat of either the shower or the moment, and tentatively licked the weeping head. At the appreciative moan he received, he opened his mouth wider and took in half of the pulsing flesh in one go, relaxing his throat muscles and hallowing his cheeks as he sucked hard. His hands pressed Sora's hips to the wall to prevent him from bucking, and he slowly began to take more and more of the hardness into his mouth, sucking rhythmically.

Sora was practically melting with bliss. His knees trembled slightly as he struggled to remain upright, which only became more difficult when he looked down and locked eyes with the blonde, who was looking up at him with fake innocence whilst his nose was pressed to Sora's stomach.

"Holy shit Roxas," he gasped raggedly, his exclamation dissolving into a particularly loud groan when Roxas started fake-swallowing around the head of his dick. One hand left his hips and started stroking the soft skin of his balls, rolling them experimentally between slender fingers.

It didn't take long for Sora to come once Roxas started sliding his mouth up and down Sora's length, sucking and swallowing and playing teasingly with his balls. All too soon he gave a hoarse shout and released a long stream of hot cum in the blonde's waiting mouth which was swallowed down greedily. Some of it dribbled out of the corner of Roxas's mouth but was quickly washed away by the flowing water.

"I think you enjoyed that," Roxas said with a grin, tucking Sora's softening length back into his saturated underwear and rising to give the trembling brunette a long, hot kiss. Sora could taste himself on Roxas's tongue, but rather than be disgusted by it, he found it incredibly sexy and found himself lapping up the taste.

They broke apart eventually and proceeded to do what showers were generally designed for, washing their hair and soaping themselves up (Sora took delight in coaxing their unruly spikes into Mohawks that dripped with shampoo). They got a little distracted whilst drying each other off and Roxas ended up receiving his second blowjob in twenty four hours as he lay sprawled on the wet tiled floor, his already loud groans and dirty exclamations being magnified by the echoing acoustics. Then Sora had lain on top of him and kissed him for at least twenty minutes, alternating between slow and intense, and fast and rough. At some point during all of this their hands had found each other and fastened themselves together, clenching each other tightly as their owners kissed.

It was nearly noon by the time they got out of the bathroom, looking more exhausted than when they had gone it but much cleaner and in fresh clothes. When they noticed the time and realised that their train to Destiny Islands left in an hour, chaos had broken out and all thoughts of continuing to enjoy each other were forgotten.

After a mad dash to Sora's to pick up his (thankfully pre-packed) weekend bag, and an even madder dash to the station where they caught the train with minutes to spare, they found themselves in a relatively empty carriage. The found a booth with a table and stored their bags above the seats before sitting opposite each other and stretching out over the seats. Their hands, which couldn't seem to leave each other alone that day, intertwined once again on the table. They rested their heads against the cool glass of the window and caught their breath after their frantic panic.

The train made a few stops at other stations in Midgar, and then they were well and truly into the countryside, trundling towards the coast just over three hours away.

Sora was in the process of sending his mother a text to let her know they were on their way when Roxas spoke.

"Hey, so what _are_ we?"

Sora looked up from his phone, thumb poised above the keypad. "We're humans? You know? Homo sapiens, evolved from apes, bent on destroying the planet with global warming-"

"Very funny," Roxas interrupted dryly. "You know what I mean."

Sora didn't reply for a few minutes, his face pensive as he finished his message and put his phone in his pocket with slow, deliberate movements. "Well," he said, "what do you want us to be?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "That's not helpful Sora."

"Well sorry but I'm as clueless as you are!! It's not as if this sort of thing happens to me every day, you know," the brunette huffed, his face forming a cute little pout that Roxas found adorable. He told Sora so, and the pout intensified. "Don't change the subject!" Sora muttered.

"Fine. Would I totally scare you off if I said I was seriously considering asking you out?"

"By asking me out do you mean... like, out on a date, or out as in going steady?"

"The latter."

"Nah, that'd be cool. I was kind of hoping for that as well." Sora blushed furiously at this and ducked his face into his white hoody.

"I didn't think you were the kind of guy who went for one night stands, either," Roxas replied, squeezing the tanned hand in his. "This is all so weird though. Before I met you, I had never looked twice at another guy."

Sora re-emerged from his hoody, nodding enthusiastically. "Same here! I always liked girls up until we met. But even now, other guys don't interest me at all. It's only you I want. It's like I'm Roxassexual or something."

"Interesting choice of words," the blonde smirked. "And I completely empathise; I would even agree and say that I am 'Sorasexual'." At this he formed quotation marks with his free hand. "I don't really understand it."

"Well, this is going to sound really _really _lame," Sora said, the blush reappearing, "but I read once in a book that your sexuality has nothing to do with... um... the sex of your soul mate." Roxas raised an eyebrow and Sora floundered, his face as red as a lobster. "Not that I'm saying we're _soul mates_! I was just saying..." he trailed off, looking completely at a loss as to how to redeem himself.

"I get it," Roxas said with a laugh, thoroughly amused at Sora's bashfulness but glowing inside. Although the term 'soul mate' was a little extreme for someone he had only known for four days (and heck, they were moving _really_ fast if they were already establishing a relationship), it just felt... natural. The last four days had seemed a lot longer than that, and he already felt incredibly close to Sora. It was like some sort of chemical magnetism. They had tried to resist it at first but they were drawn together as surely as north and south poles of magnets.

They lapsed into silence, and Sora pulled out his sketch pad and started to draw some rough designs for his manga comic. Roxas rummaged through his bag and found a sheet music pad, putting his earphones in and starting to compose a new song. It was coming up to the time when the band would be expected to bring out some new material for performances, and if all went as planned and they were approached by one of the scouts that had been there last night, the more material they had, the better.

They worked in silence for an hour or so, occasionally sending each other warm glances. Anyone who walked past their booth would have been treated to the sight of two boys with extremely similar features, both reclined across double seats and resting against the window, working in notebooks with their tongues poking out of the corners of their mouths. It took them a while to realise that this was why they were getting amused looks and smiles from other passengers, and they didn't understand until they both caught each other licking their fingertips in unison to turn their pages.

Sora set down his work a little while after that, flexing his fingers after they had been clutching his pen tightly for so long. Roxas also seemed to be tiring of his work and put it back in his bag, turning off his music and sitting properly on the seat. Sora mirrored him and they slid their hands over the surface of the table to meet in the middle. When they were sure nobody was watching, Sora leaned forward and gave Roxas a chaste kiss.

"When we get to my place," he said as he sat back in his seat, "can we wait until I've told my parents about us before we... act like a couple in front of them?"

"Um, sure," Roxas said with a shrug. He could understand how much of a shock it would be for Sora's parents to discover that their previously very straight son was now dating a boy. Naturally, Sora would want to let them in on it in the least shocking way, which involved breaking it to them gently rather than cuddling up to each other at dinner.

They stared out of the window for a little while, thumbs rubbing in little circles over each other's hands. The countryside flew past them, a blur of white dotted with green where the snow had started to melt. As they got closer to the coast, the snow vanished all together and the carriage temperature went up by a few degrees.

"I have a question," Roxas suddenly said, breaking the silence. "Last night when you... went down on me," he whispered, "why didn't you let me do it to you too?"

Sora blushed, remembering the way he had just jerked off as he sucked Roxas's dick. "Well," he stuttered in hushed voice, still looking out of the window, "after what happened to you in the parking lot the other day... I didn't think you would want to..."

It all suddenly made sense to Roxas. He felt an unexpected rush of... emotion? Admiration? The fact that Sora was so considerate even in the heat of letting out pent up sexual tension struck a chord he had never felt before, and Aerith's words from the previous night came rushing back to him.

Could he really... _love_ Sora already? Was it even possible to fall in love in four days? Roxas had always been disbelieving of such things as love at first sight and being swept up in a whirlwind of romance within moments of meeting, but these ideas no longer seemed so farfetched as he tried to console his feelings.

How did you define love? How did you _know_ you were in love? Surely it was the feeling of not wanting to ever be without that person? Or overwhelming emotion every time you were with them? Or was it just a gut feeling? Was love something you couldn't define until you had experienced it, even if you didn't know what you were supposed to be looking for?

He realised that Sora was watching him with a mixture of curiosity and worry and broke from his inner contemplation. "Thank you for worrying about me," he said honestly, smiling warmly across the table. "But I think I proved in the shower that you needn't lose sleep over that." He winked and the brunette went even redder if it was possible. That boy's head was going to burst if he blushed any more.

They went back to watching the scenery, and another few minutes later, Sora's head had fallen into his arms as he had his first narcoleptic bout in a few days. Knowing that the brunette was probably still tired from the night before, Roxas detached his hands from Sora's gently and placed his coat under Sora's head, letting him sleep. He contented himself with running his fingers through the soft spikes, admiring the little threads of auburn, copper and gold that weaved through the rich brown and twisting the spikes gently between his fingertips.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, because suddenly he was being woken up by the call of the refreshments trolley that was approaching. He raised his head from his arms and stretched out, groaning as his shoulders popped satisfyingly. Sora was also rousing, looking thoroughly confused.

"Want a beer?" Roxas asked the still sleepy boy, who nodded and rubbed his eyes with a yawn. Roxas got up and carefully made his way down the carriage, using the walk to stretch out his legs after having been sat down for so long. He ended up buying some sandwiches as well as two cans of beer, and Sora looked grateful for the food when it was chucked on the table a few moments later. They hadn't eaten since that morning and hadn't realised how hungry they were.

They cracked open their beers and devoured their sandwiches hungrily, washing them down with alcohol and sighing contentedly. "Really, could this day get any better?" Sora asked to nobody in particular. And Roxas agreed with him wholeheartedly.

They pulled into Sunset Station half an hour later, where ironically the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon of the ocean. The water was highlighted a wonderful warm orange that glittered like minerals, and the Destiny Islands were no more than silhouettes in the distance.

"So do you actually _live_ on the islands?" Roxas asked as they grabbed their things and waited for the train to stop.

"No, we live on the coast. But we have a house right by the beach and when we were little me and Leon would go out to the islands all the time by boat to play," Sora replied. The train slowed to a stop and they stepped onto the platform.

There was no need to ask which of the waiting people was Sora's mother. The unasked question was answered when a short, slim woman with warm brown hair in a braid threw herself at Sora, enveloping him in a tight hug and smothering him in frantic kisses.

"Sora darling, it's been so LONG!" she cried as she pressed his face into her bosom, something which caused Sora to completely freak out.

"MOM!" he cried in a muffled voice from her chest, "We saw each other like a _month_ ago!" He managed to get out of her grip, running behind Roxas. "Hide me!" he whimpered.

"So this is your friend?" the woman cried enthusiastically, and then it was Roxas's turn to be smothered in kisses. "It's wonderful to meet you my dear!" She pulled back to study Roxas, and he shifted under her eager, scrutinizing gaze.

"Why Sora, he looks _very_ similar to your cousin!" she exclaimed.

"Which one?" Sora grumbled.

"Which one?!" she echoed, disbelief etched on her youthful face. "Your cousin Ven of course!"

"That little snot that kept kicking over my sandcastles when we were kids? I haven't seen him since I was eight, Mom, he could have had a sex change and I wouldn't know."

"Well Roxas looks a lot like him! What a coincidence! And you and Sora even share the same birthday!" Mrs Leonhart looked positively ecstatic at this discovery. "You two were destined to meet!"

"Can we go home now?!" Sora groaned. "Sorry about my Mom," he added to Roxas, who was suitably freaked.

"No problem," Roxas squeaked as it became his turn to receive the 'breast treatment'. It was going to be an interesting visit.

* * *

_Gah, I can't end chapters to save my life T.T But other than that, I quite like this chapter and enjoyed writing it :D I hope you liked it too! Now, review monster demands his weekly feeding!  
(NB: Sora's white hoody is an idea stolen from **thedeviltheangelandtheme**, because it was too good NOT to steal :P)_


	15. Oh Child

_Oh my word, I am so sorry that this is a day late! I kind of lost track of the days this week and didn't realise until midnight last night that I had missed my deadline XD I hope you can forgive me!  
We're getting very VERY close to the lemon now, my dearies :D Just bear with me for one more chapter and then you will be making sweet, sweet lemonade ;D  
I don't particularly like this chapter, but it was necessary. I threw in lots of limeness for you all as apology for my writing.  
The song this week is 'Oh Child' by Nevertheless, a beautiful song that is perfect for the end of the chapter :) Check it out._

_**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING. Sob.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Fifteen

Oh Child

The ocean sighed as it soothed the shores, creeping up the sand and then sinking back whilst the warm light of the setting sun bathed the coast in vermillion. The call of seabirds sounded in the background like one of those soothing nature CDs, and the silhouettes of small rowboats and fishing vessels dotted the skyline as they made their way back to the little harbour to the west. Salt was on their tongues, telling them of underwater adventures and excursions through sea caves and palm trees.

Even the incessant chatter of Mrs Leonhart couldn't ruin this moment as they stepped off the platform and walked down the fruit-tree canopied path towards the main road. The landscape wavered slightly in the heat, a far cry from the snowscapes of cold, polluted Midgar.

Roxas could have stared at the scene for all eternity, but the way Sora's skin almost _glowed_ in the sunset, and the suddenly startling clarity of the blue in his eyes, and the sun-kissed highlights that appeared in his hair, all distracted him perpetually. Sora was _warm_, he blended in here and stood out at the same time. He belonged here in the same way that the sand and the sea were forever destined to mingle and wash over each other.

The main road ran along the coast line; on one side were picture-perfect houses built with sturdy but aged wood that was painted fetching shades of blue; on the other side, the waves whispered secrets as they edged back and forth. They passed a group of children playing pirate around a huge rusted anchor which had been set up like a monument. Wooden swords clashed and boys whooped as they climbed on the structure like little monkeys. Further down, a young couple were leaning against the railing and staring out to the horizon, their fingers intertwined and casual chatter flitting between them in dribs and drabs.

"What do you think?" Sora's sapphire eyes were gleaming with nostalgia and pride as they regarded Roxas, awaiting an answer as Mrs Leonhart nattered about this and that and where so and so was studying now and did you know that whatsername had a baby?

"Why the hell did you leave _this_ for Midgar?!" It was the first thing that had popped into Roxas's head as soon as he laid eyes on the perfect little port town, and was the first thing that burst out of his mouth before all the other questions, compliments, and awe-inspired gasps that were rumbling in his mind.

Sora looked around, as if seeing the place for the first time. "I dunno," he mused, tucking his hands behind his head as he walked. It caused his t-shirt to ride up a little bit, showing off a surfer's stomach that Roxas ached to touch. "It's nice and all," Sora continued, "But you get used to it when you live here. There aren't any great art schools here either. And besides," he added in an undertone, "If I hadn't left, I would never have met you!"

Roxas hoped he could pass off his red cheeks as a heat flush. He was all too aware of how pale he was in comparison to everybody here. Sora's mom was even more tanned than her son, and the eyes she had passed down to him were like iridescent jewels set in a dark, smiling face.

"Here we are!" she cooed, pushing open a gate and leaving it open behind her as she practically _skipped_ up the path. The boys followed, shutting the gate (white picket) behind them. The garden stretched back for at least the length of a football pitch, and the lawns were currently being dowsed in sprinklers, showing how they stayed so green in such a hot climate. The house was set further back than its neighbours, edging on the forest of palm trees that spread over the vast majority of the area. And the house was _enormous_.

_What was it that Sora's Dad did again?_ Roxas pondered as he stared at the looming edifice. It looked to have three floors, and while it wasn't structurally the most elegant of creations (it looked like it had been added to randomly over the years), it had its own charm and was evidently well maintained. There were wide windows set in the front of the house that evidently let the occupants have breathtaking views of the ocean and the small cluster of islands in the distance, and the front porch even had one of those swing seats you see in all the movies. Images of sitting there with Sora, watching the ocean and hearing stories of his childhood filled Roxas's mind and sent strange warmth down to his gut.

The house was as impressive inside as out, and was the complete antithesis of what Roxas had grown up with. Whilst Roxas's family home had been filled with modern sculptures, block primary colours and smooth marble counters, Sora's was a vision of the countryside. The kitchen was flag stoned, with thick timber beams supporting the low ceiling. A navy range cooker was set into the wall and in the centre of the room was a large scrubbed oak table which seemed to serve as both the preparation area and the dining table.

The living room had an old iron wood burner (not that they would ever need it in this heat) and was filled with large upholstered sofas. The stairs creaked and the walls were made of washed-out stone. Pictures of random things like balls of wool and artichoke flowers were hung at odd intervals on the walls. A wonderful pastel picture of Sora as a child hung halfway up the first flight of stairs. The smell of wood and cooking filled the entire home. It felt incredibly lived in, and Roxas immediately felt at ease.

The house was large enough that it had an east wing and a west wing. Sora's parents and his older brother occupied the west wing, which was larger and had more bedrooms, and Sora occupied the east wing by himself. There were only two bedrooms in the east wing and they were up on the top floor of the house – one was Sora's room and the other was a guest room which had already been prepared for Roxas to occupy. The two rooms shared an en suite bathroom. There was also a study and a small living room.

Sora's mom (who insisted that Roxas also call her Mom) had vanished into the back of the house where the pantry was, and left Sora to give Roxas a tour of the east wing. Red sunlight streamed into the landing where they now stood, warming the worn carpet. Roxas was currently pushed up against the wall and Sora was pressing hot kisses to his neck and jaw, grinding their hips together as their hands lazily explored each other.

"S-Sora...!" the blonde gasped when he felt straight teeth nipping at his collarbone; his pale fingers combed through warm brown locks whilst soft lips fastened onto his skin and Sora's tongue swept across rising goosebumps.

"Mmm?" the brunette replied. His hands were teasing at the hem of Roxas's shirt and skimming across his belly, making the muscles twitch.

"Wh-what if your Mom catches us?!" The end of this statement ended in a stifled groan as Sora thrust his hips forward and rubbed their straining erections together. Sora moaned into the junction of his neck and shoulder and repeated the action.

"She won't," he said with certainty, moving up for a chaste kiss, rubbing their noses together. "And don't worry about being heard either... I had twenty people over here once and they didn't hear a peep in the west wing."

"B-but..." Roxas stammered, his eyes rolling back when one tanned hand snuck into his jeans and squeezed firmly. Whatever protest he had been about to say was lost when Sora kissed him again, thrusting his tongue into the blonde's mouth as he man-handled Roxas.

"You have no idea how hard it is to keep my hands off you in front of Mom," Sora growled between kisses. Roxas was trying to keep his head, but his thoughts were so far away as _his_ Sora smothered him, stole his soul away through his perfect lips. It felt alien and strange – but so goddamn _right_. He was even coming to enjoy it when Sora had him pressed up against something in a compromising position, with Roxas unable to do anything except be ravished and dominated. He would never have pegged himself as submissive in any way, until he was wrapping his legs around slim, powerful hips and grinding their crotches together desperately in search of friction.

They eventually moved from the landing into Sora's bedroom, where Roxas took the opportunity to turn the tables – much as he enjoyed submitting, he couldn't get rid of his aggressive, dominating side, and Sora didn't seem to mind either as he was pinned to the bed beneath the slimmer blonde. Sora's blue t-shirt was torn over his head and flung into some recess of the room and then Roxas was dragging his blunt nails loosely over the bronzed skin and kissing Sora's heaving chest.

He had never wanted anything so much before. He wanted to drown in the frenzied gasps and fiery touches that took away all of his strength and willpower. When he looked up from dragging his teeth over one jutting nipple, he wished that he could have taken a picture with his mind – the expression of bliss on that suntanned face, the way Sora's lips were parted to allow his shaky breaths to escape, his furrowed eyebrows as he concentrated on the sensations coursing through his trembling body – it was an image Roxas wanted to remember forever.

He crawled up the brunette's body and lowered himself onto Sora fully as he pressed their lips together again. Their tongues danced between mouths as they fought for control, hands fisting into each other's hair almost painfully. Roxas greedily swallowed every mewl and whimper, every groan that came from Sora, indulging in the taste of ocean and sugar and taking pride that it was _he_ that was eliciting those delicious noises.

They were rudely jolted from their enjoyment of each other by Sora's mother calling them downstairs to help with the dinner.

"She picks the _worst_ times," Sora growled, smacking his head back onto the covers as Roxas groaned and rolled off him. They sat up and shared one more kiss, swift and delicious.

They changed out of the clothes they had been wearing to travel (resisting the urge to jump each other as more and more skin was revealed), throwing on cooler pairs of shorts and loose t-shirts, before padding down the staircase to the ground floor and into the kitchen. Sora was immediately set to work on preparing some vegetables, and Roxas being the guest, was given the easy task of stirring a stew every now and then whilst Mrs Leonhart probed him with questions.

"So Roxas, what do you do?"

"I'm a musician."

"Oh FANTASTIC! How wonderful!" Sora's mom cried as she hacked at some raw chicken breasts with a very large knife. "And how do you know my darling son?"

"One of my band mates is going out with Kairi..."

"Oh she's a _darling_ isn't she? She's always so sweet when she comes to visit! Oh, so you and Riku are in the same band then? How lovely!"

Sora's eyes had glazed over as he prepared the vegetables; his mother's voice washed over him in a sea of excited squeals and cooing. Roxas envied him for not having to join in with the conversation. Sora's mother dashed over to the range cooker where Roxas was stood and added the chicken to the stew he was stirring, giving him an affectionate pat on the shoulder as she did so.

"And what a coincidence that you two share the same birthday!" she cried for quite possibly the sixth time that evening. "I can't believe that Sora's twenty years old now, it's enough to make me feel old!" She certainly didn't look like the mother of a twenty year old. Roxas wouldn't have put her as older than thirty, and there was barely a crease in her tanned skin to indicate her age.

The heavy front door slammed then, jolting her out of her one-sided conversation. "Oh Sora, your father's home!" she cried, bustling off into the hallway.

"Joy," Sora muttered, beheading a carrot viciously. A deep voice answered Mrs Leonhart's unintelligible prattle and then she was re-emerging with a tall, well-built man in a suit being dragged in her wake. It was clear where Sora got his endless energy from as she bounced across the flagstones and shoved the man at Roxas.

"Roxas, meet my husband! You can call him Dad though!" She grabbed their hands and thrust them together before jerking them up and down to make them shake hands. "Honey, this is Sora's friend Roxas!"

Sora's dad was tall – he was at least six inches taller than Roxas who was by no means short. He had the same chocolaty hair as Sora, although the spikes had been tamed down, and it was evident where Sora got his well-built frame from. He looked down at Roxas sternly, and the blonde found himself cringing under the gaze as if he were naked – while the man's eyes were not as startling as Sora's or his Mom's, they were still an intense shade of blue that seemed to ream into your very soul and read your thoughts.

"Pleasure to meet you," Mr Leonhart eventually gruffed before stalking out of the room to hang up his coat and put his briefcase away. Roxas thought his knees were going to give way – he had never been so nervous in front of an adult before, and Roxas took pride in the fact that he was scared of _nobody_.

The ominous man walked back into the room, ducking his head as he walked through the low door way, undoing his tie and giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek as she started to wash up some of the utensils she had already used. Sora continued to cut up vegetables, a scowl on his face.

A shadow fell over the table as Sora's Dad stood at the end of it and looked at his youngest son. Sora didn't look up, but his chopping became more erratic as he attacked some innocent potatoes. "When did you arrive?" the man muttered, sounding like he couldn't give a flying fuck.

"About an hour ago," Sora replied through gritted teeth.

"Still doing that bloody art course?" Mr Leonhart was leaning over the table slightly now. Sora looked up and met his gaze. Mrs Leonhart bustled around in the background as if nothing was wrong. Roxas shifted awkwardly, as though he shouldn't really be there.

"_Yes_," Sora hissed defiantly.

Mr Leonhart blinked and stood up straight with a grumble. "Well, when you get your head out of the clouds, there's a place at the company, where you belong."

"My answer isn't going to change, Dad. I don't want the same things you want." Sora was cutting the vegetables again resolutely. "I want to be a published artist, not vice president to a boat company."

Roxas remembered then what Mr Leonhart did for a job. He ran a company that produced and manufactured ships and cruise liners, and had been pressuring both Sora and his older brother Squall into inheriting the company, though neither held any interest for it. No wonder they were able to afford such a huge house, they had to be absolutely minted.

The sharp exchange between father and son appeared to be over, as Sora's Dad growled and stalked off into the main living room. The sound of the television drifted into the kitchen and mingled with the bubbling sounds of the stew. Sora added all of the vegetables to the concoction and Roxas stirred, whilst the two shared a look.

Sora rolled his eyes, and while his mother's back was turned, he pressed a quick kiss to Roxas's cheek. "Telling _him_ about us is going to be no picnic," he warned, taking the wooden spoon from the blonde and stirring more vigorously.

"We can always just not tell them," Roxas replied quietly, but Sora shook his head.

"No. Even though we only just sorted our feelings out, you're an incredibly important person to me, and I have no intention of hiding our relationship for the entire time we're here. I'll tell them after dinner, and then we can go for a walk whilst Dad cools off."

The prospect of a walk on the beach indeed sounded tempting, so Roxas agreed. "Okay then, but we tell them together. I can see you don't get on well with your Dad, I don't want you doing it by yourself."

Sora threw him a warm smile. "You don't have to, but if that's how you feel..."

"It is," Roxas insisted, and once more kissed his boyfriend (it felt so good to call Sora that). The brunette returned the kiss swiftly before moving away and taking the various chopping boards and knives he had used over to the sink, where his mother was still washing up.

"When is Squall getting here then Mom?" he asked as he picked up a tea towel and started to dry things.

"Oh, he's already here! He and that _darling_ Rinoa have been down at the harbour all afternoon. Do you know that they've finalised the wedding date already?"

"He never told me," Sora grumbled.

"Well he never tells us anything either dear, so don't worry!" Mrs Leonhart kissed her son's cheek. "Now then, why don't you and Roxas head down and fetch them? You can show him the harbour then, it does look lovely in the sunset!"

"Are you sure you don't need any more help?" Roxas asked as he gave the stew one last stir and then covered it with the lid.

"I'm positive! Go on, enjoy yourselves! You didn't come here to help me cook, now did you?"

* * *

It was considerably cooler outside when they left the house. The sun was almost gone, ducking beneath the horizon and setting the ocean aflame. The sky was now a wonderful navy blue and the first stars were winking into view. The boats which had been on the skyline earlier were now all docking up on private jetties or making their way towards the harbour.

When they were out of the sight of the house, Sora grabbed Roxas's hand and squeezed.

"Sorry about my Dad," he mumbled. Their footsteps echoed down the paved sidewalk. All the children from earlier had vanished and had been replaced with elderly couples making their way back to their homes. They were given a few reproachful glances as they walked hand in hand, but they duly ignored them.

"It's cool, really," Roxas assured him. They were silent for a few minutes then, taking in the sights and smells. The wind had dropped and the ocean was as flat as an empty swimming pool. If Roxas squinted hard enough, he could make out the dorsal fins of dolphins surfacing around the islands.

"So you mentioned a couple of days ago that you knew my brother?" Sora suddenly piped up.

"Um, yeah," Roxas hedged uncertainly. He wasn't sure if Sora knew about the kind of crowd Squall was involved in. "Back when I was friends with Seifer."

Sora didn't bat an eyelid. "Yeah, I figured as much," he sighed. "Squall has taken defying Dad to the extreme, really. He's involved with all the wrong people. But he seems to like it, and Rinoa keeps his feet on the ground, so I don't say anything. And Mom and Dad don't know."

"He seemed to be a nice enough guy," Roxas said. Sora had fished some lollies from his pocket, and the blonde accepted the green one he was given. They sucked on the sweets, twiddling the sticks in their mouths. "He struck me as the strong, silent type when I met him."

"Haha, that's Squall alright," Sora laughed. "Conveys everything with a look. Kind of like Dad."

They had reached the harbour. The smell of fish was rife, and fishermen were bustling back and forth with crates of their catch. Elderly people were watching with interest. At the end of the stone jetty, they spotted a tall dark brunette man with a slight, dark haired girl on his arm. They were peering into a lobster pot, and the girl was laughing and pointing, as a pincer rose from the basket as if shaking in annoyance, like a fist.

"Well, there they are," Sora announced. He didn't move to go any closer to them though, instead staring past them to the largest island, which was now nothing more than a shadow on the darkening ocean. The lampposts were lighting along the shoreline, one by one.

"You okay?" Roxas asked, nudging the brunette's side.

"Yeah, just pissed at my Dad," Sora muttered. "No 'Hello' or anything, just launched straight in with criticising me."

Roxas sighed. He knew all too well what Sora was talking about. It was part of the reason that he had run away. His father had deeply disapproved of his music, and thought Roxas was better suited becoming a lawyer like him. Roxas still didn't talk to his parents, although Cloud tried to get them to meet up at every birthday and Christmas.

"Sorry, didn't mean to bum you out like that," Sora suddenly said, pulling Roxas close and pressing a kiss to his lips.

"No problem," Roxas grinned, leaning into the kiss and letting his arms encircle Sora's waist. The world paled into the background as they became lost in each other again, concentrating only on the touch of lips and the sharing of gasps.

"Well, this is an interesting development."

They broke apart in the same way that they had done when Xion had caught them, blushing furiously and looking anywhere but each other. Squall cocked his head to the side, mirth shining in his eyes. Rinoa giggled and clutched onto her fiancée's arm a little tighter.

"Never put you down as gay, Sora," Squall teased, ruffling his little brother's hair affectionately. Roxas chuckled as Sora pouted cutely.

"Neither would I have until a few days ago," Sora muttered, trying to fix his spikes. He gave Rinoa a kiss on the cheek and hugged Squall quickly. "This is Roxas. You may have met already."

Squall nodded at Roxas, who returned it respectfully, and Rinoa waved cheerfully.

"Wouldn't have put you as gay either, Strife," Squall continued with raised eyebrows. It was Roxas's turn to pout.

"You two suit each other though," Rinoa added.

"Told Dad yet?" the older Leonhart asked. The rapid paling of Sora's face explained everything. "Thought not. We won't say anything, don't worry."

"Thanks," Sora smiled, and was rewarded with another hair ruffle. They wandered back up to the house, catching up on everything they had missed in the few months since they had last seen each other, discussing the wedding and Roxas and Sora's relationship. The sun was completely gone but the air was still pleasantly warm, warm enough that they didn't need sweaters. Insects buzzed in the bushes, and the occasional splash as a fish or dolphin broke the surface of the water cut through the humidity.

They were sent by Mrs Leonhart to wash their hands when they got in the house and then instructed to go into the dining room, which Roxas had not previously seen. It was apparently where the family ate when they had guests over, rather than at the table in the kitchen, and it was already laid out with shining silverware and wine glasses. Mr Leonhart sat at the head, reading a paper with disinterest. He grunted a greeting at Leon and Rinoa as they took their seats. Leon sat at the other end of the table with Rinoa on his right and Sora on his left. Roxas sat next to Mr Leonhart, and when Mrs Leonhart had laid out all their plates, piled high with delicious food, she sat on her husband's other side, opposite Roxas.

Aside from the occasional snide remark from Sora's father, the meal was uneventful. Sora and Roxas were given late birthday presents (Roxas protested but Mrs Leonhart was insistent that he accept their gifts), and Squall and Rinoa talked every one through their plans for the wedding, which was set to be held that summer.

After the meal, Sora gave Roxas, Squall and Rinoa a meaningful look. They quickly realised what he meant by it, and the engaged couple got up and started clearing the plates, making themselves scarce.

Sora sucked in a breath. "Mom, Dad," he said. His voice came out a lot more tremulously than he had intended. His parents looked at him, his mother with a look of adoration and his father with unhidden scathing. "I have to tell you something."

His Dad snorted. "Don't tell me. You and this bimbo are dating." He pointed at Roxas, who was evidently supposed to be the 'bimbo'.

There was silence for a moment. Roxas and Sora looked at each other. "Well..." Sora started. His mother's eyes widened and his father's face went from white to green to purple.

"YOU _ARE?!_" he bellowed, and everyone jumped as he smacked his large hands down on the table.

"Calm down dear!" Mrs Leonhart cried, grabbing her husband's arm. She looked at Sora and Roxas with an incredulous expression. "Explain," she said. It wasn't an angry voice, but was certainly confused.

"Yes, _please do_," Mr Leonhart growled. "You!" he shouted at Sora, who flinched in his seat. "I thought you liked girls! What happened to all those girls you brought home when you were in school?!"

"I don't understand it any more than you do, Dad!" Sora yelled, startling Roxas. The brunette rose in his seat and planted his hands on the table. "We just... I don't know... we just _work_, okay? We're a good couple!"

"I don't want to hear it!" his father shouted, covering his ears.

"_Listen to me!"_ Sora roared. Everyone jumped as the usually well-tempered boy smacked his hands on the table in a similar way to his father. "I'm sick of you _judging_ everything about me, Dad! Can't you just _accept_ that I don't want to be like you?!" He ducked his head as tears threatened to fall. "I don't _know_ why I like Roxas. I just do! He makes me happy! And if you can't accept that, then I'll remove myself from your life just like Squall has done!"

"Don't be so extreme, Sora," his mother started, but Sora interrupted her.

"No, I mean it! I won't answer your calls, I won't tell you what I've been up to, I'll come home once in a blue moon! Is that what you want Dad? You've already segregated the family enough with your obsession in getting us to follow in your footsteps. And now, because I'm dating a guy, you're going to make it worse?!"

He stopped then and slumped down in his chair. Roxas swallowed, feeling like he should add something but not know what. Sora was breathing hard and clenching his fists. His father was pulling a similar pose.

"Maybe you two should go for a walk," Mrs Leonhart said to the two teenagers, rubbing her husband's arm. "We'll chat about this."

Sora sighed tiredly and nodded, heaving himself out of the chair. Roxas scrambled to his feet. Sora went around the table and kissed his mother's cheek before marching out, Roxas following.

* * *

"Well, that went as well as can be expected of my father," Sora muttered, kicking a pebble angrily. They had walked down to the shore and were trudging through the sand. Roxas would stop to skim a stone on the flat ocean water every now and then.

"Sorry for all the trouble I've caused," Roxas sighed.

"Not your fault," the brunette grunted in reply. He flopped down on the sand and kicked his trainers off. Roxas sat down next to him. They were silent for a moment. Sora stared at his hands as they worked grains of sand through the fingers.

"Hey," Roxas said after a few minutes. "Promise me you won't stop talking to your family like you threatened."

"I will if he continues to be so obtuse," Sora growled, grabbing a particularly large stone and throwing it at the black expanse of water that was slowly ebbing back and forth over the moon-washed sand.

"Sora, please," Roxas said, grabbing the brunette's hand. "I haven't spoken to my parents in five years because they wouldn't see things my way, and I'm finding it really, _really_ hard to fix things. Promise me you won't make the same mistakes as me."

Sora sighed. "I can't make a promise like that right now." He flopped backwards, lying back on the sand and staring up at the thousands of stars that shone down on them. "I'm too stressed out, Roxas."

A wicked though occurred to Roxas. He looked around to see if anyone was about, and finding them alone, he quickly crawled over and straddled Sora's hips. "Maybe you need some stress relief then, hm?" he teased. Before Sora could protest, he pushed up the brunette's shirt and started to kiss his tense stomach, fingers working on Sora's shorts fastening.

The brunette sucked in a breath. "Roxas..." he whimpered, feeling himself growing hard already. "What if someone sees?"

"Fuck 'em," the blonde mumbled, and the sound of a zipper being drawn reached Sora's ears. Water washed up against the soles of his bare feet and then sank backwards again as Roxas reached into the boardshorts and released Sora's pulsing length. He wasted no time, immediately taking the leaking head into his mouth and sucking gently.

"Oh god..." Sora whimpered. He wanted to put his hands in Roxas's hair but didn't want to get the blonde covered in sand. Roxas relaxed and let more of Sora's dick slip into his mouth, tonguing it gently as he dragged his lips back up it and then sank down again, taking even more in towards his throat.

"You know, for a man-whore you give ridiculously good head," the brunette victim said with a shaking groan as he felt the blonde's nose graze against his belly. This seemed to spur Roxas on, as he increased the suction and began to drag his tongue more roughly against the underside of Sora's cock, contracting his throat muscles around the head as he fake swallowed.

It didn't take long for Sora to come. By now, Roxas had worked out what he liked best, and as the brunette gave a long, juddering gasp and spilt down the blonde's throat, he felt all the tension leave his body along with his cum. He shuddered once, twice, and then collapsed bonelessly against the sand, not even aware that he had been arching his back and bucking his hips until he lowered them to the ground.

Roxas sat up and wiped his mouth, grinning devilishly and doing up Sora's pants for him. He rolled off of Sora, snuggling into his side and kissing him gently. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, but now I really want to fuck you," the brunette admitted with a cheeky grin.

"Who says you'll be doing the fucking?" Roxas responded with a raised eyebrow.

Sora groaned. "How the _hell_ are we going to settle this?" he grumbled, throwing his hands up and spraying sand everywhere. "We'll never get anything done if we keep fighting about... about..."

"About who tops?" Roxas supplied helpfully.

"Yeah," the brunette grunted, flushing.

"Maybe we could take turns?"

There was a pregnant pause.

"What, like, switch? Would that work?"

"I don't see why not," Roxas said with a shrug. "But we'd have to decide who gets to top first."

"Maybe we should just... go with the flow," Sora said, making fluid, wavy movements with his hands to try and emphasise his point. "I dunno... maybe when the time comes one of us will feel more dominant than the other... and then next time maybe the other will feel more controlling..."

"So you're saying we shouldn't think too much about it?" Roxas interpreted, scratching his cheek. "It could work... better than fighting for it, I guess."

Sora 'mmm'ed in reply. They lay there, staring up at the incredible canvas of diamonds spread out above them. "Still want to fuck you though."

"We'll see," Roxas chuckled. "We don't have to jump into anything."

"Yeah, but I don't see why we have to wait either," Sora said, waggling his eyebrows.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "So you're saying you want to do it right now? Here?"

"Well, why not? Not on the sand though... hey, wanna go for a swim?" Even as Sora eagerly posed this question, bouncing up and down in the sand, he was tugging his shirt off and pushing his shorts down his legs. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

Roxas had no chance to protest. The sight of a very nearly naked Sora jogging into the warm black waters was enough to persuade him anyway. Trying to make it look like he wasn't rushing, he yanked off his clothes, leaving his boxers on like Sora, and followed the brunette into the sea.

It was warm, _so_ warm. Even without the sun, the sea was like bathwater. Roxas swam out to where he could see the brunette spikes poking out of the water. Just as he reached Sora, the tanned boy tipped his head back, soaking his hair and arching his back. He looked incredible then – bathed in moonlight, with salt water rolling off his chest and a look of utter serenity on his face.

_He really belongs here_, Roxas thought, something in his stomach jerking, making his mouth go dry. He put his feet on the seabed and pushed through the water towards the brunette. He slipped his arm under Sora's neck and pulled him upright and into an embrace, water tumbling down the brunette's back from his hair.

"You're beautiful," Roxas murmured, kissing Sora's neck as their chests pressed together. Tanned arms slipped around his shoulders and then Sora was kissing him. Roxas's eyes fluttered closed and it was just them, surrounded by an expanse of calm, opaque water that rippled quietly around them and reflected the moonlight onto their skin. Tongues caressed each other lazily, taking their time. Their hearts thumped in their chests, picking up the same rhythm after a few minutes. They breathed through their noses, calmly at first but then getting heavier as their excitement grew and they pressed closer together.

They broke the kiss eventually and nuzzled at each other's throats. Roxas trailed his hands up and down Sora's back, skimming against his boxers. "I need you." It took Roxas a moment to realise that he had said it.

"Me too," Sora gasped in reply. They kissed again, urgently. "I want you, Roxas."

* * *

_AHH I'm so EVIL!! But there is no denying what will happen next! -waggles eyebrows- Sorry for cutting you off like that guys! -cackles-_

_You all know the deal. Review! Reviews make me happy and keeps review monster under my bed where he belongs :)_


	16. My Saviour

_This chapter is also known as 'Here's the fucking porn already'. So no secrets there about the content, which is rated with a big fat M.  
The song for this chapter was originally going to be 'Famous Last Words' by My Chemical Romance, which was the song that partially inspired the fic (the other one was 'The Sharpest Lives' by the same band, which is incidentally where I got the title from), but when I finally formulated the scene in my head, the song 'My Saviour' by Dead by April seemed so much more appropriate. So that's the song for this chapter, although Famous Last Words could be the sub-title as it fits quite well with the end._

_We are by no means at the end of the story, people! There are AT LEAST ten more chapters to come, so worry not! And of course, when this finally finishes, I have many more ideas in my head that need writing down._

_I'm a little hesistant about this chapter, as although I have posted several lemons, the only yaoi one was much more poetic and shorter, whereas this one is going to be, well, probably downright dirty and not at all poetic, and quite long. But yeah, please be nice, this is relatively new territory for me._

_So, on with the porn!!  
_

_**Disclaimer: **No ownage.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Sixteen

My Saviour

_I want you_.

The words had no sooner left Sora's mouth, than it was being plundered by Roxas's insistent tongue, darting and teasing and coaxing Sora's own tongue out. Though it was not their first kiss by far, the admittance that they wanted each other in every sense of the notion gave their kisses new meaning. Every touch of their lips sent sparks down their nerves and their tongues were suddenly much more insistent, rougher but softer, and their breath seemed to be at least three times hotter than before as it mingled in their open mouths.

Though Roxas had initiated it, Sora soon took control of the kiss. His tan hands skimmed over Roxas's back lightly, the very pads of his fingers brushing teasingly against the pale skin, before coming to rest firmly on the thinner boy's hips. The ocean was ringing in Roxas's ears and he was strangely aware of how small and insignificant they were in this endless expanse of water that lapped around their navels. He shifted his feet on the sea bed, kicking up a miniature sandstorm as he brought his chest and stomach flush to Sora's.

He smirked when this caused Sora to gasp, though the beach boy never stopped kissing him, letting his groans loose into the blonde's mouth as they began to gyrate against each other. The friction was maddening – their erections were still hidden by their boxers but even the slightest of contact was enough to drive Roxas insane.

Sora had brought one hand up and was now coaxing Roxas's right nipple to hardness, rolling the sensitive nub between his fingers as if rolling a cigarette and then pinching it lightly. Roxas positively mewled, and then stopped, annoyed at himself for sounding so submissive but enjoying the sensations too much to try and assert some dominance.

He didn't know if he was really ready for what they wanted to do, but his entire body was aching for more contact. He wanted to be able to push his fingers through that hot, bronzed skin like butter, in a bid for closer intimacy, and he knew that this ache would not subside until they had fucked each other senseless, if it would subside at all. Right now, he didn't care who did the fucking as long as his craving was kerbed.

Sora nearly whimpered when Roxas wrapped his slim arms around his neck and drew the stronger boy into a deeper kiss, but allowing Sora to control the kiss with his pushing, ransacking tongue that stroked over his upper palate and just behind his teeth. Sora could tell he was being given control, and he was grateful to Roxas – he was nervous as hell, and didn't think he would be able to handle it if he wasn't in control of the situation. Roxas seemed much calmer than him, albeit feisty and practically begging Sora for more.

His fingers left Roxas's nipple and the blonde frowned, but then those large hands were slipping under his ass and lifting. Catching on, he brought his legs up and hooked them over Sora's hips as the brunette used the buoyancy of the water to hoist Roxas up. The brunette was pushing through the water, and Roxas gasped when his back came into contact with cool, smooth stone – there were crags of rocks jutting out of the sea in lines from the shore, and Sora had somehow guided them over to these formations, and now he was pressing the blonde into them insistently as he began to suck and bite his way along Roxas's taut jaw line.

The air was getting more humid now, or maybe they were just getting more heated, but Roxas could have sworn he could see steam vapour as his head fell back against the rock. Sora's tongue was now tracing maddening circles on his throat as they grinded their groins against each other. The brunette was thrusting Roxas into the rock wall, his hands were running over Roxas's ass and the back of his slim thighs. Occasionally his hands would slip far enough down the blonde's legs to tease at the material of his boxers, sliding his fingers under the sodden, floating cotton and up over Roxas's inner thighs.

Sora smirked when Roxas let out another of those submissive moans, pulling back to admire the reddening skin of the blonde's neck where he had been sucking gently and biting. There were a few teeth marks here and there that stood out on the pale skin and made his erection twitch in his shorts. It gave another insistent jump when he looked at Roxas's face, which was flushed with lust – his damp hair was spread limply around his head in a dirty blonde halo against the rock, his eyes had darkened with desire and were now a shiver-inducing indigo. His mouth hung open slightly, showing off white, small teeth that were evenly spaced. As Sora thrust against the blonde again, those teeth came down to gnaw at Roxas's swollen lower lip and his golden lashes fluttered onto his cheeks.

"God, you're so beautiful," Sora gasped, returning to adorning the blonde's flesh with kisses. He loved the bruises that were flowering up on Roxas's neck – though the singer was far from pure, it felt like Sora was sullying his innocence by marring that porcelain skin.

"Nnng," Roxas grunted incoherently, panting open mouthed now. Sora had moved down to his chest and was focusing on his nipples, forming his tongue into a point and tracing it in circles around the areola before flicking at the hard nub in the centre. Roxas's hands finally decided to do something, fisting into the wonderful thick chocolate locks and tugging firmly. Sora just grinned against the blonde's chest and nipped playfully at the goosebump-swathed flesh.

"Ever since then, I've wanted to screw you against a wall," Sora growled, referring to their heated kiss against the lockers the day before as he switched over to the other nipple, his fingers replacing his mouth on the former one as he repeated the process on the new one. "Guess this'll have to do," he said around a mouth of nipple, thrusting against the writhing blonde to emphasize his point.

"S-Sora..." There was a pleading tone to Roxas's tremulous whisper, along with a warning to get on with it and stop abusing his dominance privileges.

Sora worked his way across Roxas's heaving chest, along the line of muscles in his twitching neck and up to his ear. He hooked his teeth on one of the many piercings there and tugged gently, still grinding against Roxas. "Tell me what you want, Roxas," he whispered.

For a moment, there was only the sound of the ocean caressing the shore and their winded breathing. "You know what I want," Roxas growled, tightening his hold in Sora's hair and tugging almost painfully. He pulled the brunette in for a searing kiss, sucking in air through his nose as he struggled for oxygen. His brain was going foggy. "Just fuck me before I fuck you."

Sora faltered suddenly, almost breaking the moment with a worried question. "But will you be okay... here? Shouldn't we at least have like... lube or something?"

"We're in water dumbass," Roxas hissed, "I hardly think lube will make the experience less painful for me than water."

"Well, as long as you're sure..."

"I _am_. Now hurry the _fuck_ up Sora!" Roxas bit harshly down on the brunette's lip, digging his nails into Sora's scalp to prove he wasn't fucking around.

"Heh, no need to get violent," Sora chuckled. He kissed Roxas again, more gentle than before, their lips barely grazing each other as he reached down and plucked at Roxas's waist band. Hooking his fingers on the material, he dragged the boxers down as far as he could with Roxas's legs wrapped around him, before running his hand over the smooth pale flesh of Roxas's ass. The muscles were clenching beneath the skin, emphasising how firm it was.

Sora couldn't resist it. He squeezed _hard_, digging his fingernails into the supple flesh and earning a moan from Roxas that was halfway between agony and mindless desire. His lips kissed across Roxas's cheek to the curve of his jaw, and he pressed his mouth there as one finger dipped into the curve between Roxas's cheeks. The pad of his finger pressed gently against the tight hole, meeting with intense resistance.

"Roxas, relax," he soothed, flattening his tongue and dragging it up Roxas's exposed throat.

"I'm _trying_," was the haughty reply. "You try getting your ass fingered and we'll see how relaxed _you_ are."

"Touché," the brunette chuckled, returning back to Roxas's mouth for another kiss in hopes that it would serve to distract the blonde a little bit from what his hand was doing. He pushed the tip of his finger in; it was so unbelievably tight, he was worried that he was going to hurt both Roxas and himself if Roxas didn't relax some more.

Using the rock for support, his other hand left Roxas's thigh and moved around to the front to grip the straining erection. The effect was immediate as he swiped his hand swiftly over the blonde's leaking cock, and his index finger slipped inside Roxas to the first knuckle. This could take a while, but he wanted their first time to be pleasurable for both of them, not just Sora.

He became aware that he was sweating as he felt moisture trickling down his back, the same moisture that was lightly beading Roxas's pink face. He kissed the drops of perspiration away from the blonde's forehead soothingly, his fingers teasing the tip of Roxas's dick as he gently twisted the finger in Roxas's ass, moving it back and forth and urging the blonde to unclench a little more. He finally managed to push it in to the second knuckle when he squeezed forcefully around Roxas's length.

"You're _really_ tight, Roxas," he groaned. As much as he was worried about hurting his new lover, the idea of that tightness surrounding his cock, and thrusting into those clenching muscles, turned him on more than the idea of fucking any girl ever had. His hand began to move faster over Roxas's cock, and he rocked his own hips in hopes of some much needed friction on his neglected length.

"Just _move_ your finger," the blonde grunted, "or we'll be here all night!"

"Say if I'm hurting you," Sora warned, and then he slipped his finger back out of Roxas, before driving it back in steadily. Roxas hissed and dropped his head to Sora's collarbone. His hands were clawing at Sora's tense shoulders, leaving red trails in the wake of his blunt nails.

"Keep going," he moaned, biting down on the tanned skin.

"Does it hurt?" Sora asked worriedly.

"I said _keep going Sora!_" The brunette laughed nervously and kissed Roxas's damp hair, obeying the order and repeating the thrusting action with his finger, hooking it slightly when it was inside to brush against the velvety walls of muscle. He knew that if he found Roxas's prostate, things would be instantly easier, but he had no idea how deep that would be.

"You ready for two?" he asked as the resistance eased a little bit and he was able to push his finger in and out without as much effort as before. Roxas was mewling into his shoulder, hugging him tightly like a frightened child.

"Just keep going with one for the moment," the blonde gasped. One pale hand reached in between their bodies and closed over Sora's tan one that was still jerking him off loosely. He gripped Sora's hand and his erection tightly and guided Sora to pump him harder, moaning heavily when the brunette complied. All the while, Sora's long finger was sliding in and out of his body, and it was becoming easier and easier as the tight ring of muscles relaxed. And Roxas had to admit, it wasn't hurting, so much as it felt a bit uncomfortable. And he was definitely starting to enjoy the little jolts of electricity that Sora seemed to be sending through the multitude of nerves down there.

"Okay," he groaned, "You can try another now."

Sora didn't voice his concerned question, instead choosing to obey Roxas's command. It was funny how Sora had thought he was in control of the situation, but Roxas was giving all the orders. And speaking of the blonde, he had lifted his head from Sora's shoulder and was now kissing along the brunette's tan skin, laving his tongue at the perspiration gathering on his throat and dragging his teeth gently over the sensitive flesh.

Sora pulled his finger out to the tip and added his middle finger, slowing the pace down again as the new intrusion pushed passed Roxas's sphincter. The blonde grunted with discomfort but didn't complain, although he did clamp his teeth down quite harshly on Sora's neck. The brunette mouthed the word 'ouch' but continued to drive his fingers into Roxas. It was much easier than when he had started with just the one, and his fingers slipped in till the hilt with relative ease. He made that hooking motion again, hoping to find that fabled bundle of nerves that would make the experience a million times better for Roxas.

Roxas picked up the pace with their pumping his erection. Sora's hand was stroking the base of his shaft, while Roxas was playing with the weeping tip, their hands moving in unison. Roxas's eyes were heavily hooded and his face was fully flushed as he panted into Sora's neck, still biting down hard enough that he broke the skin.

"Ow!" Sora winced, "Fucking hell Roxas, if it hurts that bad just say instead of going vampire on me!"

"Shut up," was the muffled reply as, ironically, Roxas began to lick up the blood he had drawn. "Just keep going."

"As you wish," Sora muttered, and thrust his fingers in a little more forcefully than before as punishment to Roxas for making him bleed. He smirked at the high-pitched gasp this dragged from the blonde, and his smile only widened when his finger tips grazed against something spongey deep within Roxas.

"Ah ha," he said triumphantly, and angled his fingers so that the prints pressed firmly against the bundle of nerves. The result was almost hilarious – Roxas moaned like a wanton whore and clenched around Sora's fingers, his erection bucking violently in their hands.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Roxas gasped, now basically clutching onto Sora for dear life.

"So you like it then?" Sora asked with a wicked smirk, pressing more forcefully against Roxas's prostate. Roxas groaned loudly, and then without warning, his length pulsed in their hands and he was coming, staining his own chest with his cum as he practically screamed Sora's name.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sora murmured, feeling Roxas's muscles noticeably relax around his fingers. He spread them in a scissoring action and then added a third while Roxas was still recovering from his unexpected orgasm. The blonde's length was already twitching back to hardness at a speed neither would have thought possible if they weren't seeing it for themselves.

"Does it feel good?" Sora asked curiously as he thrust his three fingers in more forcefully, enjoying the noises that the singer was making immensely.

_Damn, I was right about him being a little screamer... hope he doesn't get too loud or someone will hear us._

"It feels like having a broom handle shoved up your ass," Roxas grunted even as he let out another moan dripping with sex. "But it feels so _fucking_ good as well!"

"Hmm, good," the brunette rumbled, hand wrapping around Roxas's semi-erect length and stroking up it in languid strokes. "Think you're ready?"

"As I'll ever be," the blonde grunted into his shoulder. Sora didn't wait for any further encouragement. His erection was now straining so hard against his boxers and the back of Roxas's thighs that it was throbbing painfully. His fingers slipped out of the blonde, and Roxas whimpered at the sudden loss.

"Hang on a sec," Sora grunted, reaching down and jerking his boxers down so that his aching dick sprung free. "Okay, let's do this..."

"Hurry up," Roxas whined.

"Sheesh, you sound like a girl."

"Shut the fuck u-ahhhh!" Roxas narrowly missed smacking his head on the wall of rock behind him as he threw it back, his eyes rolling back into his head as he moaned gutturally; Sora grunted loudly and clamped his hand over Roxas's mouth to stop him drawing attention to them as his dick pressed into the still _very_ tight hole. Though it was tight, he slipped in easily enough and when his pelvis was pressed flush against Roxas's thighs, he sagged a little against the rock, relying on it to keep them upright while he adjusted to the intense heat surrounding his cock like a furnace.

"_Fuck_," he choked out, bracing his arm on the wall next to Roxas. His other hand remained covering Roxas's mouth.

"My thought's exactly," his lover responded in a muffled voice through Sora's fingers. His pectorals were quivering as they tensed and untensed.

"This feels _too_ good," Sora said after about half a minute when he had got his wind back and Roxas stopped shaking.

"Yeah, but if you don't move soon it sure as hell is going to stop feeling good."

"Tch, so bossy." Sora planted his feet firmly on the sea bed and grasped Roxas's hips firmly. He tilted his hips back, sliding out to the tip, and then drove in to the hilt again, making the water stir and smack against the rock.

"Oh FUCK!" Roxas gasped in a near scream. He was getting too loud.

"Shut up!" Sora hissed, taking one hand off of Roxas's hips to grab his chin and pull him down for a very rough kiss. Sora thrust his tongue into Roxas's mouth in much the same way as he had thrust his dick into the blonde's ass, swallowing Roxas's noises. He pulled out again and then shoved in a little more forcefully before.

"Mmmfff!" Roxas gasped, unable to properly articulate the sensations running through his body. His mind was telling him that he shouldn't really be enjoying this, but his body sure as hell was contradicting that statement. His neglected arousal was now fully erect again, bobbing against his stomach as Sora set a pace, making shallow thrusts in and out of Roxas's tight little ass. Sora's fingers dug into his hip and chin, sure to leave purple marks in their wake.

"Oh Jesus fucking Christ," Sora moaned as he broke the kiss in need of oxygen that breathing through his nose simply wasn't giving him. Not really caring any more, he let Roxas's moans get louder and louder until they were escalating into hoarse screams.

"Holy shit!" the blonde yelled in that beautiful voice that had captivated Sora from the very beginning. "Please, Sora! _Harder!_"

Sora didn't need telling twice. He changed the angle of his hips and then thrust up into Roxas's writhing form with all the strength his lower body possessed. A snapping scream was dragged from the blonde's mouth as his prostate was hit bluntly by the head of Sora's impaling cock, sending his mind numb.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" he whimpered in time with the thrusts, as Sora grunted – Roxas was still _extremely_ tight and Sora wasn't sure how much longer he was going to last.

Roxas lifted one hand to his mouth and bit down on the back of it in a bid to muffle his screams; Sora was now thrusting into him hard, fast and deep. The water around them was frothing and splashing against the rocks with the force of their movements which were becoming more and more frantic.

"Fuck Roxas, I'm going to come soon," Sora moaned, latching his mouth onto Roxas's throat and biting down roughly, trying to keep himself quiet. But it seemed, Roxas had been closer, because all of a sudden his muscles clenched down so forcefully on Sora's dick that it knocked the wind out of him, and for the second time that night he was coming onto their chests as he screamed raggedly into his hand with something that sounded like Sora's name.

The insanely tight clenching around Sora was what broke him. He gave a few more frantic thrusts, his teeth gnawing down on his lower lip and his eyes squeezed shut, and then he was coming into that wet, silken heat with a frayed groan, his thighs trembling with exertion and his vision white with black spots from lack of oxygen.

How long they remained curled in on each other like that, heaving their bodies together as they tried to recover some semblance of simple things like language and bodily functions like breathing, they didn't know. It could have been minutes; it could have been millennia for all they cared. The shock of what they had done was finally settling in, but not in such a way that either of them wanted to bolt. More, they were surprised that they had finally had the courage to go through with the act.

The ache had dulled in Roxas's chest, and for that he was thankful. He hurt all over, but the pain was so deliciously tainted with the essence of Sora that he wished it would stay forever.

Sora pulled out of him eventually, when they had got their minds and breath back, and they pulled up each other's boxers before Roxas pressed Sora into the rock for a slow, post-coital kiss that tingled down their spines as their tongues teased at each other gently. Their fingers intertwined tightly as they laced their hands together. They didn't speak. They didn't see the need.

After a while that lasted forever and wasn't long enough, they waded into deeper water to wash themselves of the evidence of what they had done, paddling tiredly and barely able to keep their chins above the water. Sora ducked down under the surface to rid his face of the sweat, and Roxas tipped his head back so that his hair was swirling in the water and cooling his scalp.

They stumbled back onto the beach, not bothering to pull their clothes back on as they gathered up their stuff and walked back up the sand to the main road. There was no sign of people about for which they were relieved as they walked back (Roxas somewhat stiffly) in the humid night air that smelled of heat and salt.

The house was dark and deathly silent when they tiptoed into it. A glance at Sora's watch indicated they had been out for more than three hours and it was past midnight. They crept up the stairs until they reached the door to the east wing, at which point Sora turned the lights on, knowing that it would not disturb his parents or Leon and Rinoa as they were in the west wing.

Speaking for the first time since they had orgasmed, he turned to Roxas and asked brightly, "Shower?" Roxas nodded tiredly, barely able to keep his eyes open, and he trudged down the hallway with its old fashioned carpet after the too-chirpy brunette, into a large, stone-tiled bathroom with a sit-down shower big enough for two.

They dumped their things in the clothes hamper and Sora turned the shower on, keeping the water cool as they were still sweating from their... endeavours. They both sighed as they stepped under the wide-spread spray of cool, clean water, collapsing onto the tiled benches opposite each other and leaning back against the cold walls of the large cubicle, utterly spent.

As they washed lazily, taking their time and cooling down, Roxas spoke.

"I'm going to walk funny for a week, you know."

Sora snorted and accidentally inhaled some water.

"It's not funny, Leonhart," Roxas snapped as Sora choked and pounded his chest.

"Oh," Sora coughed, "So we're on last name basis now, are we Strife?"

Roxas nudged him with his foot irritably. "Shut up."

"You said that a lot, you know."

"What?"

"You kept telling me to shut up and were telling me what to do," Sora said with a smirk. "There's a term for that I think... I believe Xion would have called you a 'Badass Uke'." He made quotation marks with his fingers, and then burst into hysterics when Roxas took on a murderous expression at being dubbed the uke.

"There's no _way_ I can be uke," he hissed, throwing a sponge in Sora's face and getting soap in the brunettes mouth, "Because there is no way that _you_ are a seme."

"I think your ass says otherwise," Sora giggled around a mouthful of soap, hunching over and practically howling with laughter, his shoulders shaking with the effort to try and contain it.

"You're acting like a fifteen year old boy," Roxas grumbled, crossing his arms and pouting, though it was getting hard to keep a straight face when he was looking at a hysterical, choking and sopping wet Sora with soap all over his face.

"And you're acting like a virginal girl, _uke_," Sora jeered. This time, Roxas threw a full bottle of shampoo at him, which Sora caught deftly before it could make too much noise or cause him pain. Roxas pouted even more that his plan to hurt Sora had been foiled.

They finished cleaning themselves up eventually and when they got out the shower they 'reconciled' by drying each other, stealing chaste kisses and not-so-chaste ones, before wrapping themselves up in fluffy dressing gowns and making their way up to Sora's room.

They changed into loose slacks and turned on Sora's air conditioning, and then crawled onto the large double bed, collapsing on top of the sheets. They wanted to cuddle up to each other but it was too hot for that, so they settled for lying on their sides facing each other and holding hands between them.

Sora was asleep immediately, as was typical of him, which gave the slightly more reserved Roxas a chance to admire his new lover without being embarrassed about being caught. Though the ache in his lower regions was quite pronounced (he would have to ask for an aspirin in the morning), he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed submitting to Sora, and he had actually liked it enough that he wouldn't say no to doing it again.

He reached up and stroked Sora's relaxed face, a content smile spreading over his features. It felt wonderful to be able to do this without worrying about Sora waking up, or wondering over his feelings. He had to admit that what Aerith had said at the after party was looking to be very true right now. He wasn't quite brave enough to articulate it, even in his head, but when he looked at Sora, sleeping peacefully and looking so beautiful and vulnerable, he wanted nothing more than to protect him and stay with him for as long as he lived.

However long that was.

Closing the distance between them, he placed one last kiss on Sora's soft lips before succumbing to sleep, his joints and muscles aching with sex but still hoping for a round two tomorrow. His eyes drifted closed and a small smile tugged at his pink lips.

And when he dreamed, for the first time in five years, he didn't have a single nightmare.

* * *

_Gah, I suck at ending chapters, don't I?_

_But yeah... -twiddles thumbs- hope that lived up to the hype that's been building up since like, chapter one. And if it didn't, feel free to kill me for ruining the fic DX_

_Reviews pleeeeease. Till next week!  
_


	17. Exhibition

_Whee, new chapter._

_Okay, I just need to clear one thing up before we get on with the chapter. While the response to the lemon was overwhelming and very gratifying, there were a few people who were upset about Roxas being uke. As I mentioned in chapter fifteen, their roles are NOT FIXED. The two are too similar to force into seme and uke roles. So worry not, Seme!Roxas fans, he will get his turn!!_

_I was going to insert more citrusy goodness into this chapter, but I have had a shitty week at work and didn't feel up to writing another full blown lemon. You'll get some limey stuff though._

_Also, I'm gonna bombard you with shit I know about boats. Be warned.  
_

_The song this week is 'Exhibition' by Falling Up. Look out for Falling Up towards the end of the story. One of their songs plays a VERY important role in the crux of the story (yes, there is more to the story than them getting together!! XD don't forget about our darling Seifer!!)_

_**Disclaimer: **Don't fucking own it.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Seventeen

Exhibition

Roxas woke up alone.

When he had regained consciousness without opening his eyes, and rolled over to snuggle into Sora's back, he had been met with nothing but the sheets and pillows, and the breeze of the fan they had set up the night before.

His startling blue eyes snapped open immediately when his arms clutched onto thin air. For a few moments, he stared at the indent in the sheets where Sora had been sleeping only a few hours ago, squinting as sunlight barraged his vision. He clenched his fists open and closed, watching them with confusion as if hoping that Sora would materialise if he did so.

And then it dawned on him that Sora was gone.

He sat up abruptly and wished he hadn't. His insides felt like they had been drilled with acid and then set aflame. He let out a strangled moan and fell back on the sheets, his face scrunched up as he clutched at his pelvis.

_Should have used lube_, he thought absently beyond the pain. He let out a few short gasps as the sting flared for an instant and then receded a little.

Being more careful this time, he propped himself up on his elbows and took in the bedroom. The clock on the side told him it was just past ten in the morning. The blue walls swam like chlorinated water when the dappled sunlight hit them. Dust motes drifted in the beams of light. Everything felt very hazy and surreal, like a dream.

"Sora?" he choked out, finding his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat and then called out again in a louder voice, "Sora?!"

"Coming!!"

Roxas blinked and then flopped back on the bed bonelessly when he heard Sora's voice from the landing outside the room. He was being paranoid and irrational. Sora wouldn't leave him, especially not in his own parents' house. Having once sold his body for money, Roxas had some ingrained habits when it came to sex that were hard to remove – one of them was expecting the other person to be gone when he woke up. The other was expecting to see a pile of notes on the side. He looked at the nightstand just to check, anyway. It had been a long time since he had participated in free sex.

He was overwhelmed as he stared up at the ceiling by how scared he had been that Sora was actually gone. Who would have thought a screw in the sea would leave him all sentimental like some girl?

There was a knock on the bedroom door. "You decent?" Sora called.

Roxas rolled his eyes at the fish painted on the ceiling. "I hardly think it matters, Sora."

The door creaked open, and Sora sidled in with a blushing grin and a tray of breakfast items. "Hey," he murmured when Roxas lifted his head to look at him.

Roxas gave him a dry salute. "Hey yourself," he replied as the brunette walked over to the bed and set the tray on the night stand. Roxas eyed the coffee cups, the scrambled eggs and toast, the bowls of cereal, and looked at Sora incredulously. "You made breakfast?"

Sora's blush deepened to an endearing shade of rose as he scratched the back of his head. "Heh, yeah. I figured you might be hungry... and I woke up early so I went down and made some food for you." He watched Roxas struggle into a sitting position and frowned when the blonde winced openly. "Good thing I thought to bring this up, I see," he said, holding up a packet of super-strength aspirin.

"Well, at least I have proof it wasn't all a dream," Roxas commented dryly. He grabbed the box from Sora and proceeded to fiddle with the packaging whilst Sora organised the food for them. Roxas swallowed two of the pills and washed them down with hot black coffee, shuddering as the caffeine zipped into his blood stream and left him feeling instantly awake.

Sora passed him a bowl of cereal and then sat up on the bed with him.

"Sorry about your ass," he said around a mouthful of Coco Pops. Roxas coughed and nearly choked on his Sugar Puffs. Sora thumped him on the back and then went back to his cereal, not quite meeting Roxas's eyes.

"Um, s'okay," Roxas muttered, and devoted himself to eating his own breakfast.

_Well, THIS is awkward._

"So I saw my Mom downstairs," Sora said suddenly. He had finished his cereal and put the empty bowl gingerly down on the bedspread. "She and Dad talked last night."

Roxas swallowed his mouthful thickly. "And?"

"Well, apparently after Dad practically had a heart attack, they chatted about us... and me in general... and he's agreed to keep his views to himself from now on." Sora grinned triumphantly as he reached over for his plate of scrambled eggs. The sun was filtering through his hair and despite the serious conversation, Roxas was trying very hard to resist salivating over the tanned boy in front of him.

There was silence for a few moments. Roxas wasn't sure how to react to what Sora had said. He barely knew Sora's dad, but he was fairly sure that he could be a nice guy underneath that tough exterior (why else would Sora's mom have married him?). He had proved that suspicion by surrendering so easily in a situation that had been known to rip many families apart permanently.

"Great," he said eventually, smiling weakly. He winced then as a twinge of pain shot up his spine. Sora bit his lip in worry.

"Was I too rough?" he asked nervously, his hand flitting out to rest on Roxas's. It was the first physical contact they had had that morning, and Roxas's skin burned pleasurably at the touch. He forced his smile to grow and turned his hand palm up so that he could curl his fingers around Sora's.

"It hurts, but it's kind of to be expected. You'll just have to let me top next time." He winked and Sora blushed furiously.

"Well, we did say that we would take it in turns," he muttered. He suddenly became very occupied with his eggs, poking them around his plate and distorting the smiley face he had drawn on them with ketchup.

Roxas smiled. He picked up their empty bowls and set them on the side, before leaning forward carefully and kissing Sora's cheek. Sora dropped his fork with a loud clatter and turned his head so that their lips brushed. Roxas nudged at the crease in the brunette's lips and Sora submitted to him without question, letting the blonde's skilled tongue sweep over his lower teeth before venturing further in to tentatively caress Sora's own tongue. Sora tasted like Coco Pops, an oddly fitting flavour for him.

They broke apart and rested their foreheads against each other, breathing softly.

"What are you doing to me?" Roxas murmured, and Sora shivered when the blonde's hot breath ghosted over his lips. He nudged his mouth forward and it connected with Roxas's again. Breakfast lay forgotten as Roxas crawled forwards, pushing Sora back until he was lying on the blue sheets. He placed himself between the brunette's legs, kissing him slowly and lazily whilst his hand threaded into Sora's hair. Sora whimpered beneath him and shifted his hips, rubbing their crotches together.

"Hey, don't make me fuck you," Roxas growled against his lover's lips, nuzzling Sora's face with his nose. Sora gave a mock gasp and pretended to look scared for a minute, before hooking his teeth onto Roxas's lower lip and tugging on it.

Roxas badly wanted to carry through with his threat, but he ached too much to do so. His libido wasn't being stimulated at all whilst his insides were like this. He was content to lie between Sora's legs and kiss him, taking his time to become reacquainted with his boyfriend's mouth. Sora seemed equally satisfied with this, wrapping his tan arms around Roxas's bare shoulders and kneading his back gently, massaging as they kissed and fought with their tongues.

The kisses eventually dissolved into nuzzling and snuggling, and Roxas was just about to fall asleep in the crook of Sora's neck when the brunette spoke in a serene, relaxed voice.

"So I was thinking we could go out to the island today."

"The island?" Roxas mumbled into Sora's neck, making Sora wriggle a little.

"Yeah, there's a little island about a mile out at sea that I used to go to all the time as a kid. I still go there, it's really nice and we can go swimming or just sunbathe or whatever." Sora's hand was stroking through Roxas's hair like he was a cat, tangling his fingers in the gold threads and then untangling them.

"No swimming," Roxas replied. There was no way he was going near salt water with the sting he was feeling right now. "But that sounds like a plan. How are we gonna get there?"

"By boat, of course," Sora replied. He gave Roxas a gentle shove and they sat up. Their coffee was cold and so were their eggs. Sora leaned over and grabbed a bottle of water from the floor, drinking half of it in one go before continuing as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "My boat should be fine."

"You have a boat?" Roxas asked, trying to keep the incredulity out his voice. Most kids were lucky to have a car, let alone a boat.

"Well, yeah. My Dad owns a boat company, remember?"

Oh yeah. That explained things.

They cleaned up their breakfast things, Roxas finding that the painkillers had kicked in a little, and then got dressed. Sora pulled on a red wife beater and white boardshorts that really accentuated his tanned skin. Roxas dressed in navy boardshorts and a black t-shirt with a chequered pattern running along the hem. They both appraised each other briefly before going downstairs to dispose of their plates and leftovers.

Sora's mom was in the kitchen, humming as she listened to the radio and did a crossword. The bread maker was churning in the corner and the room smelled of yeast. When the two boys walked in, she stood up enthusiastically, knocking her crossword to the floor.

"Sora! Roxas!" she squealed, and ran forward to envelop them in a tight hug. "How are my favourite son and his wonderful boyfriend?!"

Roxas didn't think his face could get any redder if he tried. Sora was wriggling in his mother's grasp, trying not to drop the tray of crockery he was clutching.

"Mom!" he whined in a very teenage fashion, ducking out under her arm and leaving Roxas to suffer the full brunt of the hug. The blonde's previous thoughts about his cheeks not getting any redder were disproved as Sora's mom made her cleavage acquainted with his face.

Sora loaded the dishwasher and Roxas was eventually released. "Just so you know," Mrs Leonhart said with a serious tone, grasping Roxas's shoulders and looking in his eyes fiercely, "I support you and Sora one hundred percent!"

"You do?" Roxas asked faintly, still reeling from the breast-smothering he had been treated to.

"Of course! Anybody can see how happy you make Sora! As long as my darling is happy, I have no problem with who he dates." She pinched his cheeks, an airheaded grin on her face. "Not to mention you're completely adorable!"

Roxas had to wonder if Sora's mom was secretly some sort of fangirl as she gushed over their relationship. The brunette in question had busied himself with something completely unnecessary to avoid being subjected to his mother's enthusiasm. There was no doubting where he got his puppy-like demeanour from.

"I'm just sad that this means I won't have grandchildren," Mrs Leonhart suddenly said, her face pulling into a devastated pout. "Well, of course I can still rely on Squall and Rinoa, but I always thought Sora would make a great Dad..."

"_Mom_," Sora said loudly. "It's a little early to be talking like that. We only just started dating."

His mother looked at him with wide eyes. "But you love each other! That much is evident!" she gasped, still holding Roxas by the shoulders. Both boys managed to choke on oxygen at that point.

"_WHAT?!"_ Sora yelled, his face in his hands and positively _glowing_. Roxas was contemplating using the cleavage before him to either hide his own blush or smother himself. He looked tempted towards the latter.

"Oh, don't be so silly, boys," Mrs Leonhart sighed, finally releasing Roxas and going over to the bread maker to check the progress on her baking. "I'm a woman. I notice these things."

"We've known each other since Friday!" Sora practically shrieked. "That's not even a week Mom!"

Roxas looked caught between fight and flight, and by the way his eyes lingered on the window, he appeared to be leaning towards flight. He even took a step towards the window, as if preparing to dive through it.

Sora's mom rolled her eyes. "Time has nothing to do with love, Sora. If he's destined to hold the other end of your red string of fate, then you only need minutes to fall in love!"

"I think you've been reading too much Cosmo," Sora muttered. "We're going to the island."

"Oh, I made lunch for you two!" she cried, running over to the fridge and producing two lunch boxes. "I thought you would want to go out to the island today so I prepared some sandwiches for you." She handed them the Tupperware boxes, which had little pieces of paper with their names stuck to them. "Maybe you could take Squall and Rinoa?"

"Nah, I'm sure they'd rather do something on their own," Sora said. He thanked his mom for the food and then went to the airing cupboard on the landing to get some beach towels for him and Roxas. He bounded back downstairs and chucked Roxas a towel. "Right, we're off!"

"Be safe!" Mrs Leonhart called as she turned off the bread maker. The door slammed behind them and she smiled into the risen dough she was lifting from the machine. "Such darlings."

* * *

There was a little jetty on the other side of the road from Sora's house, where several ribs and powerboats were moored up. Sora told Roxas to put all their stuff in a sporty looking yellow speedboat that wouldn't have looked out of place at a waterskiing tournament. He set about doing various checks, putting fuel in the boat and pumping water from the engine, checking the oil and air pressure.

"So I guess you're pretty good with boats?" Roxas asked as he watched the brunette work. Sora was completely at ease as he prepped the boat, handling the machinery with effortlessness.

"Well, you kind of have to be with my father," Sora said as he bent over the engine, checking some dial or other. "Besides, I need to be good with them in order to get out to the island."

He slammed the engine cover shut and jumped into the driver's seat. Roxas sat down in the passenger seat which faced towards the back of the boat. Sora inserted a key into the ignition and the boat rumbled to life with a sputter and a growl. The brunette got back out of his seat and unhooked them from the jetty, pushing the boat away from the platform with his foot and then leapt back in the driver seat, pushing the accelerator lever forward a little and propelling them out of the shallows.

The water was the colour of a turquoise jewel and perfectly clear as the boat cut through it slowly. Roxas could see all the way to the sea bed, and watched as a long eel weaved in and out of some rocks. He trailed his hand through the water. It was icy cool compared to the blistering heat of the day.

Sora kept checking their depth on a gauge displayed on the dashboard, and once they were out deep enough, he warned Roxas to hold on and flattened the accelerator. Roxas yelped and clutched onto the nearest thing (which happened to be Sora) as the nose of the boat rose up and then ducked again, and then the boat was planing across the smooth waves and leaving the bay far behind.

"You can let go of me now," Sora chuckled over the roar of the engine as the boat flattened out. The wind was whipping his hair about his face and he had put some sunglasses on. He took his hand off the steering wheel and began to rummage around in the compartment by his feet. Roxas looked at him in alarm when he realised that nobody was steering the boat.

Sora rolled his eyes at the look. "Relax, the boat isn't going to turn anytime soon. As long as I keep a hand on the throttle we're perfectly fine."

"If you say so," Roxas muttered. He turned in his seat to look through the salt-smattered windscreen, watching buoys and swimming seagulls fly past them. He could see the island on the horizon, directly in their path.

Sora found what he was looking for and pulled out a bottle of sun cream. "Here, you're gonna need this," he said, chucking it to the blonde, "there isn't a lot of shade on the island."

Roxas took the cream and started to coat his pale skin in it. He was glad that Sora had remembered – his skin was already turning pink and they had only been outside for half an hour. Sora checked the compass and adjusted their course minutely. He was chewing on some gum and looked every bit the hot beach boy with his sporty shades. He'd also managed to remove his vest. Roxas found himself staring.

Sora caught the look and grinned devilishly. "See something you like?"

"Maybe?" Roxas replied, smirking back. Two could play at this game. He yanked his t-shirt over his head and dropped it on the seat next to him, enjoying the wind that hit his warm skin. His smirk widened when he saw Sora's jaw go slack.

"I'll never get used to that sight," Sora murmured, licking his lips appreciatively. "You're freaking gorgeous, you know?"

Roxas chose not to answer that. He scooted closer to Sora and leaned in close, inhaling the brunette's wonderful ocean scent. He felt Sora gasp as he took the brunette's earlobe between his teeth and bit down lightly.

"Concentrate on driving," he murmured, lifting Sora's hand and placing it on the steering wheel. He began to press kisses against the hot skin of Sora's neck, alternating between tongue and teeth as he worked over the flesh with his mouth. He could feel Sora's pulse on his lips as he skimmed over the brunette's jugular; it was beating irregularly, coupling with Sora's heaving chest and white knuckles as he clenched the driving apparatus and gnawed his lower lip.

"Roxas," he hissed as the blonde began to pepper the back of his neck with the same teasing kisses. The pale hands slid over Sora's shoulders and began to explore his exposed chest. The long fingers tweaked his nipples simultaneously, making Sora jerk in his seat and let out a strangled moan. Roxas smirked and bit down quite hard on Sora's shoulder, on the same bite mark he had made the previous night, as his hands travelled lower to sweep over the toned stomach that was twitching under his touch.

"You got some sorta... biting complex?" Sora gasped, unable to contain a hoarse moan when he felt Roxas begin to tongue the bite marks roughly, one hand dipping into the brunette's shorts to graze against his rapidly growing erection.

"Keep driving," Roxas snickered evilly, noticing that they were veering off course. Sora groaned and turned them back towards the island, which was getting very close now. Roxas wrapped his guitar-callused fingers loosely around the head of Sora's dick, still hidden inside his boardshorts, and loosely pumped it a few times. Sora shuddered, clenching the steering wheel even tighter.

"You're cruel," he whined. Roxas had moved to the side, still playing with Sora's hardening length, and was now kissing the tensed bicep he was presented with.

"Call it payback for screwing my ass," Roxas replied, leaning forward to capture one perky nipple between his teeth and tugged it slightly.

"You weren't complaining last night," Sora groaned. His cock was beginning to weep copious amounts of precum.

Roxas ignored him, instead leaning up to whisper in Sora's ear, "Ever gotten road head, Sora?"

Sora gasped, and then despite the teasing situation, retorted with "I'm not driving on a road though."

"We'll call this boat head then," Roxas replied, and ducked his head under Sora's arm, pulling his erection free and taking the head into his waiting mouth.

"Shhhhhit," Sora hissed, a dark 'v' shape forming between his eyebrows as he tried to concentrate on driving the boat. Roxas relaxed his throat muscles, and deciding to take Sora by surprise, deep throated him in one smooth movement, burying his nose in Sora's thigh.

The boat jerked violently and Sora shouted loudly, struggling to keep in control of the vehicle. Roxas pulled away from Sora's crotch and tucked the straining organ back into the brunette's shorts, patting the bulge with an evil smirk.

"Let's try and get to the island in one piece," was all he said before reclining back in his seat.

"You bastard," Sora growled, easing off the throttle as they approached the shallows of the island. A long jetty ran along the west side, and he put the boat into neutral, using only wave propulsion and the propeller to guide them slowly towards the pontoon.

"I would fuck you as an apology, but I don't fancy taking you dry," Roxas remarked. He stood up and grabbed hold of the clip on the jetty, attaching it to the nose of the boat as he had seen Sora do when he had unclipped them earlier. He then attached another to the back of the boat.

He didn't see Sora smirk and slip a jar of Vaseline into his pocket.

* * *

For the first hour or so, Sora gave Roxas a grand tour of the island. He showed him everything – the lookout with the paopu tree he always used to sit on, the hut he would hide from storms in, the skeleton of a raft he had tried to make, and the waterfall of freshwater. When they took of their shoes and stood in the shallows of the pool, letting the spray of the waterfall cool their overheated skin, Sora pointed to a shadowed entrance in the rock face.

"That's my secret place, none of the other kids knew about it," he said proudly. He looked like a kid himself – his eyes were wide with excitement and sparkled with nostalgia.

"What's in it?" Roxas asked, stepping through the shallows to take a closer look. The entrance was hidden by ivy and looked like it would be a tight squeeze, should they choose to crawl through.

"Oh, just a load of drawings I did on the walls and some mushrooms," Sora said. He had moved closer to the waterfall and was getting drenched with the spray, his hair sticking to his face. "I used to have a futon in there and everything."

Roxas climbed out of the pool and crouched down by the cave entrance. "Mind if I take a look?"

Sora looked at him with surprise. "Sure, if you can fit through..."

As it turned out, they both could (just about). After the entrance there was a winding tunnel that they had to crawl through on all fours. It was dark and wet and they moved quickly, coming into the main cave which was considerably drier and lighter because of a hole in the ceiling. A shaft of sunlight illuminated the centre of the cave like a spotlight.

Like Sora had said, there were crude drawings all over the walls, some which were clearly meant to be Sora and others of fish and mermaids and various other things. There was one drawing which was better than all the rest, a girl with shoulder length hair who looked suspiciously like Kairi. Upon closer inspection, Roxas found that Kairi's signature subtitled it.

"Kairi's been here?" he asked, tracing the drawing. Sora was rooting around in a corner where a small chest sat.

"Yeah," Sora called as he pulled an old picnic blanket from the chest. He checked it for moths and then spread it out on the cave floor, reclining in the spotlight of sun. "I showed her this place when she came to visit a few months ago."

"She's a much better artist than you it seems," Roxas commented.

"Hey! All of these drawings are from when I was a kid! You _know_ I can draw well now!"

Roxas bent down and picked up a rock. "I know Sora," he said as he scoured the walls for some free space. "Guess I should leave my mark too, huh?"

"Go for it," Sora shrugged, and he lay back on the blanket, tugging his shades down as the sunlight hit his face. Roxas was no artist, so he just drew a crude stick figure picture of himself with a few musical notes around the figure, and then signed it with his swirly signature.

"Now I'm part of your secret place," he said, and he was shocked at the amount of pride that situated his voice.

"Sweet," Sora responded sleepily. He felt the air stir next to him as Roxas flopped down beside him.

"I'm really jealous of you," Roxas admitted after about twenty minutes. He was lying on his side and stroking his fingers up and down Sora's bare stomach, enjoying the ticklish reactions he got.

"Why?" Sora giggled as he flinched again.

"You had such an awesome time growing up," Roxas said, gesturing to the cave. "I wish I had had something like this when I was little. Maybe I wouldn't be so..."

"Emo?" Sora supplied helpfully, earning himself a sharp flick on the nose.

"Shut up," Roxas muttered, rolling onto his back.

"Aww, I didn't mean it Roxy!" Sora pouted, scrambling on top of the blonde and straddling his chest. Roxas looked at the wall, pouting. Sora started to bounce up and down on his chest, forcing wind out of the boy's lungs and producing a funny wheezing sound from his.

"Sora!" he choked out, "the ribs!"

Sora stopped immediately. He had completely forgotten that Roxas still had fractured ribs and a more than likely broken wrist. Seifer's attack seemed so long ago, even though it had only been five days previously.

Roxas blinked several times as he got his breath back and tried to force back the flaring pain in his ribs. It subsided after a couple of minutes, and when he had the sense of mind to use his vision, he saw Sora leaning over him with a guilty, concerned expression.

"I'm fine, don't worry," he assured him. When Sora still looked worried, Roxas pulled him down for a forceful kiss, his tongue dominating Sora's to show him that he was, as he said, perfectly fine. Sora mewled into the kiss as Roxas's tongue fucked his mouth, his fingers already finding Roxas's hair.

"God, what I wouldn't give to fuck you right now," Roxas groaned as he pulled out of the kiss. Sora's submissive noises were rousing his previously inert libido. He could already feel himself getting hard in his shorts. But he refused to take Sora dry. For some reason, fucking Sora seemed like a bigger deal than getting screwed by the brunette. Perhaps it was to do with Roxas's sexual experience, although granted it had been his first time with a man as well, but Sora just seemed a lot more innocent than Roxas. The blonde supposed that, deep down, he had let Sora take him first because the brunette was purer than him. If that made any sense.

Sora smirked and reached into his shorts, producing a small white tub as well as a couple of silver foil packets that could only be condoms. "I came prepared this time."

* * *

_-insert shit-eating grin here-_


	18. Not An Angel

_-waves feebly- Hi people... Sorry about the cliffhanger last week... I felt mean when I got all the reviews (and death threats lolz). Hope this extremely citrusy chapter makes up for it. It's not all that long though, because I'm incredibly ill and drank like a six pack of Red Bull just so that I could finish this on time. Now that it's done, I'm gonna curl up in bed and feel sorry for myself._

_Song this week is 'Not An Angel' by City Sleeps, one of my favourite songs of like, all time. It's not a very Roxas sounding song but it just fits so well with this chapter for some reason..._

_**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. I certainly do not own a Spanish grammar book. What is that red thing sitting on my desk with 'Spanish Grammar' written on it? It's a waffle, obviously.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Eighteen

Not An Angel

Roxas stared down at the brunette in his clutches with mild disbelief, astounded that _Sora_ of all people had thought ahead enough to bring such things as lubrication and condoms. Sora grinned up at him, his eyes slightly squinted because the sunlight streaming through the roof and filtering through Roxas's hair was blinding him slightly.

Roxas's expression soon shifted though. His lips, which had been parted in a little 'o', closed and twisted into an almost evil smirk, and his eyes darkened and narrowed in blatant lust. Sora shuddered under that heavy gaze; now that they were not afraid to show their feelings for each other, he was fast learning that Roxas sometimes looked at him in an almost animalistic way, like Sora was prey.

Roxas sat up on his elbows, whilst Sora dropped the items he had produced on the blanket next to them, ready to be used when they were needed. Sora bent down and they met halfway in a kiss. It wasn't the nice kissing they had been doing so far, where soft lips grazed each other hesitantly and tongues stroked. No, this was far from nice kissing. It was rough, and messy. Teeth collided as they constantly changed their angles, trying to get leverage over the other. Roxas reached up and grabbed a fistful of soft chocolate hair and tugged roughly, breaking the kiss and jerking Sora's head back, exposing his throat. Sora's Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed breathlessly, his knees trembling on either side of Roxas's ribs.

Keeping the hold on Sora's hair nearly painfully tight, Roxas tongued the flesh exposed to him whilst simultaneously taking the opportunity to grind his hips upwards. Sora groaned heatedly as he felt that Roxas was already hard in his shorts, staring up at the ceiling because Roxas still had his head jerked back. Sora didn't know what to do with his hands. They lay limply at his sides, twitching in unison with his gasps and moans.

Roxas smirked at how easily he could manipulate Sora. Even when Sora had taken him the night before, pressed up against a rock in the sea, Roxas had been in charge. He may have had a smaller build than Sora but he was by no means a weakling in body or mind. Years spent looking out for only himself had turned him from a sweet boy into someone who took what he wanted, when he wanted.

And right now, he wanted Sora. He missed the feel of their bodies pressed together like a fucking hole in the head.

One minute, Sora was looking at the ceiling, swallowing uncomfortably and wondering why he was getting off on his hair being pulled about, and the next he was suffering from severe motion sickness and Roxas switched their positions faster than he would have thought possible for someone so lean and light. The breath was forced from his body when his back collided with the floor, but he didn't even noticed because Roxas had reattached his mouth to his jugular and was biting down, and fucking hard too.

_Starting to think he's a vampire_, was the last coherent thought that went through Sora's mind, before his brain took a vacation from doing stuff in favour of just _experiencing_. Feeling Roxas's weight on his stomach, the golden strands of hair dusting against his jaw as Roxas attacked his neck, the pale, graceful hands skimming up and down his ribs as though they were frets on a guitar. He had no control over the situation; true, if he really wanted to, he could pick Roxas up with one hand and throw him across the room, but he _didn't_ want to. He was surprised to admit it, but he _liked_ Roxas being in charge. Roxas seemed to know what he was doing, and was damn good at it.

Speaking of Roxas, his hands had skimmed even lower now and were playing with the hem of Sora's t-shirt, skirting over his stomach. "Take it off," he ordered into Sora's ear, eliciting a delicious shudder from the submissive brunette. His tone was dripping with demand and Sora felt his cock twitch radically in his increasingly tight shorts.

The blonde scooted back enough to let Sora sit up and peel the shirt off that was sticking to his slightly damp skin and toss it into some recess of the cave. He just sat for a moment, and Sora leaned back on his arms, and Roxas took in the sight he would probably never get used to and didn't really want to. The heat of the day had caused a sheen on moisture to coat Sora's skin. His hairless chest gleamed in the shaft of sunlight.

Roxas licked his lips, finding them dry, and watched as a bead of sweat trickled down Sora's neck, tracing the line of the throat Roxas had been molesting not a minute ago. It pooled briefly in Sora's collarbone, which was protruding because of the way he was leaning on his arms, before continuing south and drawing out a path on the twitching torso. It ghosted over the goosebumps which were illogically rising up, and dipped into Sora's navel, before running off to the side down to one barely concealed hip.

Roxas reached forward and pressed his fingertips to Sora's chest. He barely exerted any pressure, but Sora immediately lay down. Roxas loved that Sora knew exactly what he wanted and was willing to give it to him, even if being submissive wasn't necessarily in his nature. He bent down and licked hungrily at Sora's lips, but before Sora could respond with a kiss, Roxas was moving down, following the path that the drop of sweat had created. His nipped and sucked over Sora's sternum, only stopping to grab the back of his shirt and tug it over his head, before continuing down Sora's trembling body.

Sora bit his lip as he watched the incredible blonde dip his tongue into his navel. Roxas's hair was mussed from removing his shirt, and some of it was sticking to the sides of his face, but this only served to make Sora's dick jump again impatiently against Roxas's chest which was pressed lightly to Sora's crotch. Roxas only raised an eyebrow, that dark, wicked smirk still present. One hand reached down and squeezed authoritatively between Sora's thighs.

Sora repressed another moan, and Roxas immediately stopped, sitting up and grabbing Sora's wrists. Pinching them painfully hard, he pressed them to the ground above Sora's head and kissed Sora ferociously. "You are not allowed," he growled between the mashing of lips and teeth, "to bite your lip, or cover your mouth, or do _anything_ that will keep you quiet. I want to hear _every_ noise you make." He sucked in Sora's swollen lower lip and bit down a bit harsher than necessary, releasing it as Sora let out a low groan. "Only _I_ can bite your lips, or anywhere else for that matter."

He waited for a response, and when Sora nodded, swallowing dryly, the smirk came back to Roxas's features. "Good," he murmured, and then kissed Sora again, gentler than before, sliding his tongue in and teasing Sora's whilst he settled himself between Sora's legs. He moved Sora's wrists together above his head and held them there with the long fingers of one hand, cupping Sora's cheek with the other and running his thumb over the bite marks he had left on Sora's jaw. He could feel the indents in the skin where his teeth had been.

He settled himself more over Sora's body, letting their bare torsos come into contact, stomachs first, then chests, their slick skin gliding together. They both moaned in an unbridled fashion at the contact, still kissing. Roxas had become rough again, pressing their lips together so forcefully that they could feel their own teeth biting into the insides of their mouths. He kissed Sora with bruising force, dragging his nails down his neck and over his shoulder.

He wanted to take his time, so badly, wanted the kissing and the touching and the teasing to last forever, but his crotch was rapidly dominating his brain for control of his body and was making him thrust his hips erratically downwards into Sora's lap. The sweet moans that Sora was making were like gasoline on flames, and they were getting louder and louder as the tension and frustration escalated.

Unable to take the waiting any longer, Roxas released Sora's wrists and sat up, fumbling with his shorts with trembling fingers and instructing Sora to do the same. Sora obeyed immediately, his chest heaving with desire. Roxas clambered out of the clothing as well as his boxers, and then yanked Sora's own clothes down his legs because he wasn't going fast enough. Pale hands pushed tanned hips into the floor and then Sora let out a hoarse groan as the wet heat of Roxas's mouth surrounding his painfully erect arousal.

"F-fuck!" he gasped, trying in vain to buck his hips up into the infuriating heat, but Roxas pressed his hips down and teased the head with his lips. Sora looked down and their eyes met with such eroticism that the brunette thought his skin was going to burst into flames. His hands were grabbing at things; Roxas's hair, his own hair, the blanket beneath him, _anything_. He just needed to hold something tight as more and more of his dick slipped past those pink lips.

Roxas decided then that giving Sora head was one of his favourite past times. Those incredible cobalt eyes fluttered closed and Sora threw his head back as he let out an unrestrained moan, his face a picture that could inspire wet dreams. He felt Sora's hips jerking under his grasp and watched as the brunette arched his back, stretching his skin tight over his abdomen and making Roxas let out a groan of his own around Sora's dick. Sora was gorgeous. Screw that, he was so sinfully beautiful that Roxas was sure he was going to hell just by looking at him.

_And he's going to hell with me_, he thought, and then relaxed his air passage and let Sora's arousal slide all the way to the back of his throat.

Sora, on the other hand, thought it was more like heaven than hell. It would have been enough just for Roxas to deep throat him, but then he felt the blonde's strong throat muscles contract around the head of his arousal as Roxas fake-swallowed, and Sora's vision went completely white as he came so forcefully that he forgot to breathe.

Roxas released Sora's spent cock from his mouth when he noticed that Sora's body had gone limp beneath him. He sat up in a panic to find that Sora was unconsciously, a look of shock still on his face and his hands still clenching the blanket.

"Idiot stopped breathing," he muttered with a smirk. He checked to see that the brunette was now respiring properly though, just to be safe. "No matter, I've got something that will wake him up in no time."

He leaned over Sora's unconscious form and reached for the little white tub that had been forgotten until then. It was probably better that he start whilst Sora was down for the count, it would make things a lot easier for both of them.

He hooked his arms under Sora's legs, bending his knees and resting his ankles on Roxas's shoulders, and then uncapped the tub of Vaseline. Taking a generous amount on his fingers and smearing them evenly, he slipped his hand between their bodies and pressed one finger into Sora's body.

He watched Sora's face for signs of pain or consciousness and pushed his index in steadily, finding it to be maddeningly tight but not resistant. Sora's eyebrow's twitched as Roxas wiggled his finger a little. The brunette's cock was reawakening, twitching against his stomach. Roxas grunted a little and adjusted Sora's weight on his shoulders, then slipped a second finger into Sora's tight hole.

_That_ woke the brunette up quite successfully. Sora's eyes fluttered open and as soon as he realised the position he was in and took note of where Roxas's hand was, he involuntarily clenched down so hard on Roxas's fingers that the blonde thought they would break at first.

"Shh," Roxas soothed at the panicked look on Sora's face, bending the brunette in half as he leaned down to kiss him. Sora quietened as Roxas let him dominate the kiss, and released the choke hold on the slender fingers inside him a little, letting out a little whimper as they started to scissor and probe his inner walls. Roxas grabbed his now fully awake erection and gave it a rough tug, and Sora let out a hot groan into their tangled mouths which increased dramatically in pitch when Roxas's fingers located his prostate as though they had been following sat nav directions to it.

"R-Roxas!" he mewled, sending a shiver through Roxas and encouraging him to start sliding the fingers in and out of Sora's body, shallow at first but then quicker and harder as Sora relaxed and started to enjoy it. With every push to his previously never-stimulated prostate, Sora's dick twitched in Roxas's hand, reminding him to continue playing with it. Roxas was back in control of the kiss now, tongue in synch with his thrusting fingers which were now three instead of two.

"Roxas, _please!_" The weight of the word on Sora's tongue was full of desperation that only furthered Roxas's own impatience. He removed his fingers and grabbed a condom, tearing it open with his teeth and rolling it down onto his ignored erection.

He didn't ask if Sora was ready. He grabbed the brunette's legs and hoisted him up into a more prone position, aligned his cock with the twitching orifice, and thrust his hips forward smoothly. Sora initial yelp transgressed into a trembling moan as he was filled quickly and efficiently. He had never felt so _full _in his life. There was a smacking sound as Roxas's pelvis met with Sora's ass and the blonde hunched slightly, trying to blink away the white dots appearing in his vision at how overwhelmingly tight it was.

"Holy _shit_," he gasped, and Sora nodded as if it had been a question. He was biting his lower lip and scrunching his face up, whimpering quietly. Roxas reached forwards and smacked him sharply on the cheek. "What did I say earlier?"

He jerked his hips forward, and Sora's eyes widened along with his mouth, and he moaned so loudly that it echoes around the cave. Roxas closed his eyes and let the noise wash over him again and again. He turned his face to the side, pressing a swift kiss to Sora's calf before pulling out and then thrusting back in again sharply.

"Oh my GOD!" Sora hollered, completely throwing modesty to the wings as, as if magnetised to it, Roxas hit his prostate dead on first time. It felt so good he thought he was going to be _sick_. His chest was heaving as though he was asphyxiating. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't _think_, he could only feel Roxas surrounding him, sliding inside him, drowning him in a halo of gold.

The sunlight streaming through the hole in the ceiling was hot on Roxas's back. He grunted, rolling his hips again and eliciting another delicious mewl from the brunette beneath him, and then drew out and thrust in again. Sora's heat was maddening and tight and everywhere and driving him fucking _crazy_. He spared a glance for the boy's face which was dusted with pink and contorted in a mixture of shock, pleasure and discomfort.

Roxas got his wind back after a few seconds. He smirked and started up a frustratingly slow thrusting pace, in and out, in and out, his cock sliding against Sora's inner walls and sparing no nerve ending of the overwhelming sensations. It seemed to send Sora's brain into overdrive, because he started to buck furiously, thrashing against Roxas as if desperately needing more friction. But Roxas didn't want to go too fast, even though it felt so fucking good. He wanted to literally screw Sora senseless, and a quickie was not the way to do that.

So, with some reluctance, he pulled out, much to Sora's immediate dismay. The brunette's head snapped up with a look of alarm.

"What?" he began, but then his question was answered as Roxas rolled them, reversing their positions for the second time. Sora blinked at the sudden change in position. Roxas grasped his rigid sex and lined it up again, holding Sora's hip with the other hand. He guided Sora down slowly, throwing his head back so that his hair spread out around on the old blanket. Sora would have taken the time to admire the wonderful sight, if he wasn't so overwhelmed with the new sensations this deeper position was sending up his spine like vicious electric shocks.

"Ohhhh...." he breathed out, falling forwards but catching himself on his arms, placing them either side of Roxas's head. Roxas leaned up and kissed him roughly, secured his hold on his hips and then slammed Sora down into his lap.

The scream that ripped from Sora's throat was so piercing Roxas thought he had hurt him at first, but when Sora began to undulate on his own, thrusting down onto Roxas's cock and panting out hoarse, stinted moans, Roxas quickly forgot his worries as he surrendered to the pleasure. His ribs were hurting but he didn't care. He tightened his grip on the brunette's hips and started to buck his hips up into him, matching his thrusts and doubling the intensity. He watched Sora's face as his jaw became slack and his eyes glazed over, a healthy blush now firmly painted on his face.

"Roxas..." he gasped out, sounded winded, "I'm gonna... wait... oh god...!" And, in a way he had never thought possible, Sora came again without either of them having touched his dick, his inner passage clenching around Roxas so tightly he almost lost it. He stopped his hips and took a few deep breaths, mimicking Sora who was slumped over him and trembling.

When Sora opened his eyes, they had changed position again. He was on his hands and knees still, but Roxas was no longer beneath him. He had just enough time to look behind him and see a pair of prominent pale hips aligning themselves with his ass before he was slammed full of sensation again, the deepest penetrating yet. His head snapped back as he moaned yet again, his voice growing hoarse from his vocalising. Roxas reached forward and grabbed a fistful of that incredible hair and then began to thrust erratically, his fingers digging viciously into Sora's hip.

It was hard to breathe with his head yanked back so forcefully, but the lack of oxygen only heightened the sensations and caused Sora's cock to defy biology, twitching awake once more. Roxas noticed and his hand reached down to curl around it, pumping it deftly but not rhythmically and not in time with his thrusts, leaving Sora jerking in his grip as the sensations came at random times that he couldn't predict. Roxas couldn't see it, but Sora's eyes had rolled back into his head.

"Fuck... fuck... FUCK!!" Roxas grunted. His hips were making a loud smacking sound as they collided with Sora's ass, a sound that the cave only magnified. The sun was still bearing down on the skin between his shoulder blades and he wondered vaguely if he was going to get sunburn there, but didn't care because right then Sora started a continuously stream of moans like a melody of bliss that was far better than _any_ song Roxas could perform.

"Oh _god_," he groaned. He wasn't going to last much longer. He wanted to keep going but Sora was just being so _submissive_ and was making the sexiest noises, and the muscles in his back were tensing and bunching under the tanned skin and it was probably the most erotic sight Roxas had ever seen. He had to correct himself though when he looked down and watched his cock slamming in and out of that toned ass, because the sight of that alone was what sent him over the edge.

He snapped his hips forward one last time and positively _howled_ as he came, squeezing hard on Sora's cock and sending the other boy back into the white abyss of oblivion as he pulsed fiercely inside him. Roxas hunched over Sora's jerking form as he rode out the insane orgasm – coming had never felt this good in his life. Thirty seconds passed and he was _still_ coming, and he realised that he had pressed his forehead in between Sora's shoulder blades.

A minute passed and he finally came down from Cloud Million. He pulled out of Sora and fell down to the side of him, flopping down with little grace (or care for it) on the blanket. He trembled in the spotlight of sun, lying limply on one arm as Sora collapsed down on his front. Both held similar expressions of disbelief that anything could feel so good.

They must have fallen asleep at some point after that, or maybe Roxas passed out, because the next thing he knew he was waking up with his back spooned up against Sora who had wrapped his arms around his waist. His skin was warm and pink from lying in the sun too long and he was slightly sticky from not having bothered to clean himself up after the sex.

He carefully extracted himself from Sora's sleeping form and rummaged in his shorts, finding a pack of wet wipes. He cleaned himself up and pulled his shorts on, leaving the t-shirt because it was too hot to pull the black article back on.

The cave was stuffy. He needed some air. He crawled back through the hole and emerged by the fresh waterfall. He didn't even think twice. He stepped into the ice cool water and submerged himself in the torrent of liquid, feeling his body jump to life. He leant forward and braced his arms on the rock face behind the waterfall, letting the water beat down on his back.

"You know, my ass hurts like hell but seeing you like that makes me want to do it all over again."

He looked up to find Sora moving to mimic him. The brunette spikes flattened to Sora's head as he stuck his head under the water and he let out an appreciative groan.

"Hn," Roxas muttered. He was too busy being sent into a world of watery bliss to compose a proper retort.

They stayed there for a few minutes longer before it became too cold to bear, and then Sora challenged Roxas to a sparring competition on the beach with the old wooden swords he had played with as a kid. They both sucked at sword play (though Roxas was a little better thanks to his stint with Seifer and the Yakuza), but it was fun and ended up with them rolling around in the sand, kissing and tickling. Roxas didn't think he had laughed that freely in a long time. It felt good, it felt liberating, and Sora seemed to love it when he laughed.

The sun was going down when they finally collected their things up and made their way back to the boat.

"You wanna drive?" Sora asked as they climbed in and placed their stuff under the passenger seat.

"Wh-what?!" Roxas looked completely bewildered. "I've never driven a boat in my _life_!"

Sora made a dismissive sound. "It's easier than driving a car. I'll dock up, but you can drive from here to the bay if you want. It's fun." He winked, and without waiting for an answer, pushed Roxas into the driver's seat.

"Turn the key," he said, sliding his arms around Roxas's shoulders and breathing in his ear. The wind gusted gently around them, carrying the scent of salt and their sun cream. Roxas started the ignition and the boat rumbled to life.

Sora cast them off and then returned back to his position behind Roxas. He took Roxas's right hand and placed it on the accelerator lever, threading their fingers together whilst he did the same with the blonde's left on the steering wheel.

"Full lock the wheel to the right," he said, performing action with Roxas. "Now gently ease down on the throttle..." The throttle clicked into coast, and they were gently propelled away from the dock. They twisted the wheel back to straighten their course and puttered out of the shallows, long shadows surrounding the boat as the sun sank behind the silhouette of the palm trees behind them.

Once they were out of the shallow water, Sora let Roxas experiment with the throttle and steering, telling him to aim for different things on the horizon to get used to the boat controls. He sat down in the passenger seat but twisted to look out of the salt-smattered windscreen, enjoying the feel of the wind in his hair. One hand was on Roxas's thigh, massaging gently. Roxas had never felt so at ease before.

_How can one person make me feel so many emotions? _ He wondered, watching Sora laugh and point to a pod of dolphins that began to race the boat. The sea creatures were jumping and making laughing squeaks, as if conversing with Sora. He had a huge grin on his face, and Roxas realised then, as he smiled too, just how badly he had fallen.

But he didn't care. Life felt like it was worth living again. With Sora by his side, he felt like he could accomplish anything. He thought that maybe, he could open his heart again, and let the rest of the world in. Because Sora had proved that not everything in life sucked. He was like a beacon in the dark, enclosed existence Roxas had been leading until now. Everything about Sora screamed of light. He was radiant, and infectious in his radiance.

They reached the bay, and Sora took over the controls. He guided the boat up to its private jetty and Roxas tied it up. Just as the blonde was clipping the last hook in place, Sora crouched down next to him and kissed him right in front of his parent's house.

"Don't freak," Sora murmured, putting his hand over Roxas's, "But I think I'm in love with you."

* * *

_Yeah, you can probably tell how ill I am after that completely lame ending. Ah well, devz, I don't care. Hope the Seme!Roxas fans are happy, and hope the Seme!Sora fans aren't too outraged._

_Oh yeah, I disabled anonymous reviews, sorry. I got kind of sick of people leaving them and asking me questions I blatantly couldn't answer because there is no way of replying to them. Accounts are free, and it takes a few seconds to log in. Sorry if that sounded rude or something, wasn't meant to be, its just something thats been irritating me for a while._

_Anyways, I'm gonna go and die now. Byeeeee.  
_


	19. Pieces

_It's that time of week again!! Here is the nineteenth chapter, and FINALLY we get some timeskip!!  
More about Aerith's pregnany, I didn't go into much detail really when she and Zack revealed it so I thought I would talk about it a bit more :)  
**Warning: **This chapter contains RIMMING. If you don't like that, or are too young to know what it is, PLEASE DON'T READ IT. I don't want to get flamed for it. I will mark the section containing it with lots of **xxxxxxxxxxxxxx** so you can just skip over it if you don't want to read it.  
This chapter was fuelled entirely by chocolate spread sandwiches and peach ice tea. Bow down to the ice tea, I command thee._

_The song this chapter is 'Pieces' by Red. Listen to it, it's a fucking gorgeous song._

_**Disclaimer: **You should already know this by now, but I don't own.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Nineteen

Pieces

He never thought he would feel so sad to leave something. As Roxas hugged Sora's mom goodbye on the train platform, the locomotive behind him waiting to bear him and his boyfriend back to Midgar and back to real life, he knew that Mrs Leonhart wasn't the only one crying. He could see the island in the distance, framed against the morning horizon, and it seemed to be calling him, begging him not to leave. It was as though the memories he and Sora had created there would dissolve forever as soon as he left the Destiny Islands.

"Don't you _ever_ forget me!" Sora's mom bawled into his shoulder, and he patted her awkwardly on the back whilst Sora rolled his eyes and shifted his weight on his feet.

"Mom, it's not like you'll never see us again. We are coming back, you know."

Mrs Leonhart only cried harder. "But I'm going to MISS you both so much!!" Roxas's shirt was starting to get wet now. He sent Sora a pleading look.

"Okay, emotional time is officially _over_," Sora called loudly, and pulled his mother off of Roxas only to envelope her in a hug of his own. Roxas straightened his (now very damp) shirt and decided to load the bags onto the train to give Sora a few minutes with his mother.

He picked up the two large rucksacks and mooched into the train. He found the carriage to be empty apart from one old guy at the other end who was asleep. He picked a booth and stored their bags in the overhead compartment, and glanced out of the window to see that Sora was wiping his mom's tears away with his thumbs and talking encouragingly to her. She clutched at his forearms, her lip trembling. It was one of the few times in the past five years that Roxas had missed his own mother.

He flopped down in one of the seats. The train wasn't due to leave for another five minutes. He found himself thinking back to the night before, when Sora had made his rather blunt confession.

Nothing had happened. Literally. Roxas had stared at the brunette for a good ten minutes with an expression that held a vortex of emotions, ranging from perturbed, to happy, to freaked out. In the end, Sora had just kissed him.

"You don't have to answer," he had murmured against Roxas's lips. "I was just telling you the truth. It's cool if you don't feel the same way." And then he had kissed Roxas so hard that the blonde had completely forgotten what he had been so dumbstruck about. For the entirety of about twenty minutes.

Nothing more was mentioned on the subject, and Roxas was grateful for Sora's patience. He didn't know how to react. While he was fairly sure that Sora's feelings were not unrequited, he was nowhere near emotionally prepared to admit it to himself. He had known Sora for all of a week, for god's sake. He had the band to worry about, not to mention that Seifer was still lurking about and could choose to make his move at any time. He was not in an ideal situation to fall in love for the first time.

Some people may have asked what was such a big deal, falling in love. It was just a logical step forward in the relationship. But Roxas had never experienced love before, apart from the brotherly love from Cloud and Zack. If he admitted to himself that he loved Sora, after knowing the boy for such a short amount of time, it would feel like all his walls that he had carefully built up over the years had come crashing down. And that scared him. He didn't know how he would cope with it. It would certainly disrupt his life, that much was certain.

But at the same time, the notion felt so inconceivably _natural_. He and Sora slotted together (in more ways than one) like long lost jigsaw pieces that had been searching for each other for a very long time. Their personalities complimented each other and together, they had enough combined strength to overcome any obstacle. He could practically see the red thread now as he watched his boyfriend chat to his mother, stretching from Roxas's pinkie, through the train window, and wrapping around Sora's own finger.

It was too much of a mindfuck. He had spent so long being practically emotionally retarded that this sudden onslaught of feelings was too much for him to cope with. Five years of detaching yourself emotionally from everything did that to you. It had been necessary at the time; he would never have been able to cope if he had let his emotions get in the way of his old profession, and he doubted he would have lasted more than five minutes in the Yakuza if he hadn't locked all his feelings up in a box at the back of his mind.

In a way, Sora was his Pandora. He had opened the box, and let all the emotions out into the world. The good ones and the bad ones. He was feeling hatred and anger for Seifer along with his lust and anticipation for Sora. It was more than frightening, it was enough to make him want to lock himself in his bleak white apartment and never go outside again.

And in the same fashion as the original Pandora's Box, there was still one feeling left in there, waiting for the opportune moment. Sora could help to let that last one out, but at the end of the day, Roxas alone was responsible for that feeling. It was, of course, love.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he started when he felt a weight flop down in the seat next to him. He jumped and looked at Sora with surprise. His boyfriend was looking at him. Just looking. His arms were folded behind his head as he leaned back in the garish purple seat, and his cobalt eyes were watching him intensely. He was grinning widely, as was usually the case. But the look in his eyes was what caught Roxas. It was telling him that everything was alright. That he didn't have to think so _hard_.

In that instant, he knew what Sora was trying to say, even if he wasn't consciously thinking it. Roxas shouldn't think about his feelings. He should just do what you're supposed to do with feelings – _feel_ them. Love would come with time. Even if he had the capacity to love Sora right now, he didn't have to do it until he was ready. And Sora didn't mind waiting.

Roxas returned the smile softly, and leaned forward to capture Sora's lips in a gentle kiss. Sora's arm came around his shoulders and pulled him closer, and the brunette kissed him back passionately, letting all his emotions pour into the kiss. And Roxas didn't pull away when he felt them. Instead, he let them wash over him, let them seep into his pores, his gums, his bones and muscles. He let them infuse with the oxygen he was breathing so that they could circulate in his bloodstream. It felt good. It felt right.

It felt like home.

* * *

Time passed. Whilst the first week had felt like a blissful eternity, the following months flew by so quickly that neither boy was sure where one day ended and another began. They were swept up in each other and in the stream of daily life. Sora continued with his studies, and once Roxas's bruises had faded and his bones had mended, he returned to his modelling agency to secure funds whilst the band was sorting out a record deal.

They saw each other almost every day. The aching chasm between them was too overwhelming if they did not see each other for a long period of time. Sometimes it was inevitable that they wouldn't see each other for days at a time – they both had their own lives to lead, after all- and those days alone were torture. But it was all worth it the next time they saw each other, and were able to envelop themselves in their lover's arms.

Gradually, Roxas came to accept that he was no longer emotionally void, and that he would have to face his own mind sooner or later. But like he had decided, he just let everything happen, let it take its natural course. He didn't try to fight the inevitable. And it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

* * *

The story restarts four months after Roxas and Sora met each other. It was a Sunday. As was normal of Sundays, the two were together, at Seventh Heaven with the rest of the band. Reizones had just finished a recording session for a demo CD that they were preparing for the agent who had shown the most interest at their concert. If they impressed him with their new material, they could be in with a shot at the big time.

The band, Sora, Kairi, Tifa and Aerith were sat in the lounge area of the bar, sipping coffee and chatting about their week. It was relaxingly normal. Sora and Roxas were cuddled up on one sofa, Roxas leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and soaking up Sora's infectious warmth. Their friends hadn't even batted an eyelid at their relationship when they had finally revealed it a couple weeks after its fruition. "We kind of guessed anyway," Zack had said flippantly. And that was all that was said on the subject. Of course, there had been congratulations, but Sora and Roxas were quite grateful for the low key reaction.

Zack and Aerith were on a large couch with Cloud and Tifa. Aerith's tummy was swelling at a rate that was almost visible to the naked eye. Zack went to every doctor's appointment with her religiously, and pampered her beyond all reason. He had moved into her apartment with her so that he could help her in the mornings, when she felt particularly tired. And the week before, he had surprised everyone by getting down on one knee and proposing to his girlfriend of four years. Of course, Aerith had accepted, and now wore a beautiful jade engagement ring on her left hand that matched her shamrock eyes.

Cloud and Tifa's relationship had barely progressed in comparison, something which was becoming increasingly annoying for the friendship group. Granted, they had managed to advance to being able to share the same couch as each other without fainting, but they were still firmly in denial that the other would ever life them back. Even now, when they sat practically arm to arm, they kept stealing wistful glances at each other when they thought nobody was looking.

Kairi had told Sora and Roxas the day before that if Cloud and Tifa didn't sort themselves out in the next week, she was going to feed them both aphrodisiacs and shove them in a closet until they did the dirty. Sora thought it was a brilliant idea. Roxas didn't want any part in getting his brother laid and had firmly plugged his ears whilst Sora and Kairi had discussed the details, even going so far as to look up the best libido boosters on the internet. On Roxas's computer no less.

Kairi and Riku took up the final couch, sitting close but not smothering each other. They had finally gotten past the puppy love stage, and were not so public with their adoration for each other anymore.

There had been a period of time a few months back when they had almost broken up though. Kairi had little ambition to find a better job and progress in her career, and it was beyond irritating for Riku, especially as he had to listen to her whine about how much she hated her office job every day. There had been a series of particularly violent arguments. One had even resulted in Kairi sleeping over at Sora and Tidus's flat for a week, after Riku had accidentally shoved her against a wall in his rage. Riku had been so overcome with guilt that he had literally begged her for forgiveness, and had taken her to spa treatments and pampering sessions for a long time afterwards. The arguments had ceased after that instance and all seemed to be well with the couple again. The only difference was that they gave each other more space and didn't live in each other's pockets. It seemed to be working out.

"Hey guys," Zack said to the group, his usual puppy grin pasted on his face. "Guess what?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. Zack came out with a 'guess what' every single week, and it was always the latest update on Aerith's pregnancy. "You found out the sex of the baby at last?" he asked, not really expecting that to be the answer but he didn't know enough about pregnancy to hazard at any other possibility.

Zack's smile faltered momentarily. "How did you know?!" he whined, his lower lip sticking out in a ridiculously overdone pout. He looked at Aerith. "Did you tell him?!"

Aerith held up her hands in front of her. "I haven't told anybody except your sister," she said defensively, nodding in the direction of Tifa, who grinned in an annoying 'I know something you don't know' way. "Roxas just guessed lucky."

This seemed to be enough for Zack because the pout vanished instantaneously. "Oh, well, you're right Roxas!"

"So what is it?" Kairi asked. Riku was twirling a lock of her hair around his finger and she seemed to be enjoying it as her eyes had slid down to half mast. "I'm getting sick of calling your baby 'it' all the time. It makes it seem like your kid is an object."

"Guess," Zack said, his eyes narrowed in challenge.

"Why?" Sora mumbled into Roxas's hair where he was kissing his boyfriend's scalp. "There's a fifty-fifty chance, what's the point?"

"Just guess and humour him, _please_," Aerith said with exasperation. "He's like a kid, he won't let up until you guess."

"I'm just giving you some practice baby," Zack said with a wink and kiss to her lips.

"I think it's a boy," Cloud piped up, surprising them all. Usually when he was in close proximity of Tifa he lost the power of speech, but today he seemed to have control over his vocal chords. Even if his voice was several octaves higher, but it was a start.

"Wrong!" Zack chimed, and Cloud rolled his eyes.

"It's a girl?!" Kairi squealed, and Tifa and Aerith nodded, sharing Kairi's ecstatic smile. "Oh my gosh, that's so cute! We can totally design her nursery decor together!"

"Have you thought of any names?" Riku asked. He had pulled Kairi a little closer to him and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She leaned into his touch happily, a dreamy look coming over her face. All the talk about babies had turned Kairi broody in the past few months, and she came over all dazed in her own family fantasies every time talk turned to Aerith and Zack's child.

"Zack has a few," Tifa said, grinning over at her brother who had produced a notebook from his leather jacket. He had filled _every_ page with names.

"Looks like that's an understatement," Roxas scoffed. Zack pouted again.

"I can't decide!!" he whined. "They're all so good!"

"Aerith, what name do you like best at the moment?" Kairi asked, knowing that Aerith wouldn't have been so greedy with name choices.

Aerith narrowed her eyes a little as she thought for a moment. "I really like the name Megumi. It means Goddess in Japanese, and after all, she is my little goddess." She rubbed her hand over her tummy affectionately and Zack's hand joined hers. He kissed her lips, smiling.

"You always have the best ideas, my love," he said softly, causing Kairi to go all gooey and sentimental and for most of the boys to roll their eyes.

They chatted well into the evening, as was the group's habit now on Sundays. Eventually though, Sora extracted himself from Roxas's arms and stood up, stretching. "I would love to stay longer, but I have a painting due in next Friday and I should really go and work on it," he said reluctantly.

"I'll take you home," Roxas said, standing up as well.

"You don't have to, I can take the bus," Sora protested, but Roxas silenced him with a swift kiss to the lips.

"You don't have a choice," he said authoritatively against Sora's mouth, so quiet that only Sora could hear. Though there had been confusion at the beginning of their relationship over control, it had become clear that Roxas was the more dominant of the two. Sora submitted to his will usually without question. This didn't change their bedroom situation though – they still took it in turns to top and bottom, finding that they like both positions.

They said their goodbyes and walked out to Roxas's car. The snow that had set the scene a few months ago had melted long ago, and the evenings were now light until late. The plum blossoms were just emerging. Summer was nearly upon them. The atmosphere in the air was reminiscent of their visit to Destiny Islands, and they revelled in the nostalgia of their awkward start to their relationship, and the monumental occurrences that had happened when they visited Sora's family. They hadn't been back since, but had agreed that once Sora's uni broke up for the summer holidays, they would go down for a couple of weeks.

Sora had actually received a written apology from his father several weeks after that life-changing visit. Roxas hadn't read it himself, but he knew that the general gist of the letter was that Sora's father admitted he had been a total dickhead and had given his blessing for their relationship. Sora had been particularly vigorous with the sex that evening. Perhaps the knowledge that he no longer had any reason to feel guilty about their relationship was the reason. In any case, Roxas had been very grateful to Sora's dad for being so considerate.

* * *

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The drive back was uneventful, though by habit Roxas always looked in the rear-view mirror for suspicious cars ever since he had been attacked by Seifer's lackeys. Sora had nattered about how much work his professors were giving him, and Roxas had 'mmmed' in the right places as he listened.

Roxas pulled up to the curb outside Sora's flat and kissed his boyfriend softly, reluctant to say goodbye. Apparently, Sora was too, because he said "Do you want to come up? Tidus is over at Yuna's tonight."

Roxas didn't need telling twice. He found a free parking spot and was out of the car so quickly that Sora had to rub his eyes. Sora never got a chance to work on his painting when they got into the flat. Roxas shoved him up against the door as soon as Sora had closed it and proceeded to try and kiss every part of Sora's torso that was made available to him as he divested his boyfriend of unnecessary clothing. Despite having been together for four months now, their sexual appetite for each other was still raging, and they were becoming more and more adventurous, experimenting with things they would never have _dreamed_ have doing before they met each other.

Roxas got Sora naked as quickly as possible and directed the brunette to the couch, pushing him onto it roughly and ordering him to kneel on all fours facing away from him. He dropped to his knees, and kissed Sora's toned ass cheeks, making his boyfriend shudder with anticipation.

"What do you want, Sora?" he murmured as he kissed across the smooth skin up to the small of Sora's back, running his fingers up and down the brunette's thighs and deliberately not touching any sensitive areas. Sora looked back over his shoulder, biting his lip and giving Roxas a desperate look. Roxas sank his teeth into the top of Sora's ass, making him yelp.

"How many times do I have to tell you about the lip thing, Sora?" he growled, cracking his hand on one tense ass cheek and eliciting a delicious whimpering gasp from the boy. Every time Roxas topped, he was insistent that Sora never repressed his moans unless the situation called for it (for instance, in public places where they could get caught). Unfortunately for Sora, he never seemed to learn that holding back got him punished, but then again, Roxas was starting to think the brunette liked being told off and disciplined a little and did it on purpose.

"Tell me what you want," Roxas repeated again, growling it out now as he pressed kisses to each vertebrae of Sora's spine while his fingers worked on undoing his own jeans. Sora mewled impatiently.

"You know what I want, Roxas! Just do something, please!!"

Roxas chuckled. "Someone's feisty this evening." He leaned over Sora's prone form (which was a little less muscled than it had been when they first met because Sora simply didn't have the time to work out any more) and pressed his lips to the boy's lips. "But I wouldn't have you any other way," he purred.

He kissed his way back down Sora's back before positioning himself in front of Sora's wiggling ass once more. "Hmm..." he said thoughtfully, trailing one finger teasingly down the gap between Sora's cheeks, making the boy gasp when he pressed it flat against his waiting opening, before letting it continue further down to press Sora's perineum, something he had found that his boyfriend loved. Sora bucked against his hand and moaned unrestrainedly.

"Roxas, don't tease me!" he gasped, his cheeks flushed and his body quivering with excitement.

Roxas didn't need wait to be told twice. He leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to Sora's twitching opening, grinning when it got him another loud moan. Grabbing Sora's ass with both hands, he spread the boy's cheeks, revealing Sora's most private place to him and displaying it in a lewd manner that caused both their aching members to twitch with longing.

"What are you – AHHH!" Sora groaned loudly and dropped his head, resting his forehead on the back of the sofa as Roxas swiped his tongue over his opening before forcing it through the tight ring of muscles. They didn't do this often, as they had only started experimenting with rimming a few weeks ago, but when they did the recipient always came within minutes. Roxas's tongue was strong and quite long and it felt amazing as it slid back and forth in his ass. Gradually, Sora began to relax, letting Roxas lubricate his inner walls with his saliva. The blonde alternated between tongue-fucking him and sucking on the sensitive skin around the opening harshly, until Sora was literally crying from the sensations. The skin was turning a nice shade of purple under Roxas's ministrations and it was getting extremely sensitive.

As soon as Roxas reached around and began to pump on Sora's leaking erection, the brunette came. He groaned hoarsely as he spilt his seed all over Roxas's hand, his limbs trembling with the effort to hold him up. Roxas grinned as he observed the mess Sora had made on his hand.

"You came a lot, baby," he murmured, pressing one last kiss the sensitive orifice before holding his dripping hand over it, letting the cum drizzle into Sora's crack. Without warning, he pushed two fingers into the already slightly stretched entrance, scissoring and probing, stroking the velvet inner walls and grinning as Sora's moans started up again, in a near constant stream. Sora _really_ enjoyed bottoming, and his ass was particularly sensitive it seemed, or maybe Roxas was just really good at finding the right spots to stimulate, because Sora's cock was already twitching back to life, ready for another whirlwind round of pleasure.

"Roxas, hurry up and fuck me already," Sora gasped, his knuckles white as he clenched down on the sofa back. "I can't take it anymore!"

Roxas slipped a third finger in, ignoring his boyfriend's pleas and looking around the room as if distracted, knowing Sora was watching him. He heard Sora's growl of frustration and smirked. He loved to get the brunette worked up, it made him even feistier once Roxas finally relented to his pleas.

He didn't torture for Sora long this time, although he had once teased him for over an hour when he handcuffed Sora to his bed. Sora had come the instant Roxas had finally thrust into him. This time however, he only played around for a few minutes, until he found that he couldn't take the waiting any more than Sora. His cock hadn't been touched once yet, and was painfully hard.

Removing his fingers, he pulled Sora off the couch and pushed him against the door to the apartment, pressing the brunette's face into the wood when he put one hand on the back of Sora's neck. He guided Sora into a bent over position and then lined his cock up with Sora's entrance, sinking in with one smooth thrust. They both groaned raggedly as Roxas slid in to the hilt and then rotated his hips.

"Oh my _god_..." Sora whimpered, his hands clenched into fists as they supported him against the door. Roxas moved his hand from the nape of Sora's neck to fist in the brunette's hair. He couldn't help it. Every time they fucked, he _had_ to grab Sora's hair. It was a need rather than just a habit. Pulling roughly on the chocolate strands, he grinded his hips into Sora's ass while his other hand raked red lines down the toned bronzed back laid bare before him.

"Please," Sora sobbed, gasping at the intense sensations shooting up his spine. It felt amazing, but if Roxas didn't move soon it would be too _much _stimulation.

Roxas heard the plea, and answered. He began to thrust in and out of Sora's trembling body powerfully, not bothering to build up the pace but rather going at it full force straight away. The volume of Sora's moans increased dramatically as Roxas pounded into him almost viciously, and the smack of skin on skin echoed throughout the cramped apartment. Roxas reached around and began to pump forcefully on Sora's dick.

"You like that?" he growled when Sora let out a particularly vulgar moan that was more like a lewd grunt. When Sora responded by thrusting his hips back to match Roxas's movements, the blonde leaned down and sank his teeth into Sora's shoulder. Sora came as soon as the unusually sharp incisors pierced his skin and he hollered so loud that Roxas was sure the neighbours could hear them. He gave a few more jerking thrusts, but Sora was clenching deliciously around his dick now, and with a final groan, he came inside the brunette, marking his territory that was _his_ forever more.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

* * *

Hours later, they lay in Sora's cosy double bed, facing each other with their fingers entwined. Sora's laptop was playing the mix tape Roxas had given him for his birthday. It was Sora's favourite music to listen to when they cuddled.

"It just gets better every time we do it," Sora sighed happily, snuggling close to nuzzle into Roxas's shoulder. Roxas chuckled and returned the gesture, pressing a kiss to the spot just under Sora's ear.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of it myself," he murmured. He could stay like this for all eternity.

They lay there, listening to the music and lazily exploring each other's bodies with their fingers. After a while, Sora's soft snoring joined the music and his fingers stilled on Roxas's hip.

Roxas smiled affectionately and kissed his boyfriend's temple before extracting himself from the tangle of limbs and turning off the computer. He got back into bed and rolled Sora over gently, careful not wake him, before snuggling into his back and spooning the tanned body.

Yeah, he could do _this_ forever as well.

_I'll tell him I love him tomorrow,_ he thought as he kissed the top of Sora's spine. _Maybe I should wear a suit of armour though. He'll tackle me for sure_.

It was the first time he had said the 'l' word to himself. And strangely, he wasn't scared by it now. It felt right. It was about time that Sora's feelings were returned. The brunette told him every day that he loved Roxas, without expecting anything in return. Well, Sora was going to finally get what he deserved. He had earned it.

"I love you," Roxas whispered to the sleeping boy in his arms. "Gods, I fucking love you."

* * *

_DAWWWWW they're so cute. But unfortunately, this is an angst story, so it's not going to be happy sappy forever. Enjoy the fluff while you can my dearies.  
Okay, I hate to rant, especially after all the lovely reviews you guys give me, but PLEASE can people stop with the two word reviews that just say 'update soon'. If you actually read my A/N's, you will know that I update weekly without fail, but really, its up to ME how fast I update. I want reviews that comment on my writing, not demands to update. Because the more of those reviews I get, the less inclined I feel to oblige. Sorry to rant, I know I sound like one of those prissy authors who think they're so amazing that they can whine about everything, but SERIOUSLY PEOPLE. I lead a very hectic lifestyle and find it hard enough to update every week as it is without you all demanding that I update LIEK AS SOON AS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE OR I WILL BURN BITS OF YOU AND KILL YOU IN YOUR SLEEP.  
Yeah, death threats and dismemberment aren't cool either guys -.-_

_End rant xD  
_


	20. Flightless Bird, American Mouth

_Hello all! I hope that you have all had a good week! Here is the twentieth chapter! I cannot believe it is still going after so long, this is the longest story I have ever written! Quite a fluffy chapter, but not in the way you would expect. But I have to warn you, this is probably going to be the last fluffy chapter. The next ten chapters are going to be extremely angsty I am afraid. You have been warned.  
A little note before I proceed! I have started a video blog on Youtube where I will mostly talk about my fanfictions and answer questions that people ask me! The latest blog is about this story, and my inspiration and ideas for it, and also where I plan to take it now that Sora and Roxas are together. There is a link in my profile, it would mean a lot if you checked it out!  
Right, the song for this chapter is 'Flightless Bird, American Mouth' by Iron & Wine. And yes, it's from the Twilight Soundtrack. I have no shame._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty

Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Sora's fingers squeaked as they dragged down the slippery tiles of the shower and he groaned raggedly. Pulling his arms up to shoulder height again, he braced them on the wall either side of Roxas's head and gave another desperate thrust of his hips, forcing a breathy gasp from the blonde he had pinned with his body. Water steamed down over his shoulders and his bangs were soaked and limp, dripping in his eyes.

"So close," he whispered, dropping his forehead onto Roxas's shoulder. He spread his legs a little and planted his feet firmly in the wet shower basin as he began to speed up his thrusts. He was thankful that Tidus was not in the flat that morning because Roxas was hollering so loudly that Sora's roommate would have gotten a nosebleed just from _hearing _him.

"Oh gods, oh Sora!" Roxas cried, his shouts bouncing off the tiles of the bathroom and amplifying. He had his forearms resting fully on the shower wall and was clenching his fists as Sora took him with swift, deep thrusts. There was shampoo in his eyes where he hadn't had a chance to wash it out of his hair properly but he didn't care or notice. A coil of anticipation was building in his stomach, growing and growing and taking over his mind, erasing all of his coherent thoughts.

Roxas let out a particularly guttural cry when Sora changed the angle of his thrusts and his dick glanced over the blonde's sensitive gland. "Oh shit, right there baby!" he screamed, ducking his head and squeezing his eyes shut when Sora grabbed his hips with a bruising grip and began to pound into his prostate again and again. "Fuck, oh my fucking god!"

"Christ," Sora mumbled in a winded tone; Roxas was always so _loud, _and it always sent Sora over the edge within seconds. It was taking every bit of self control he possessed to not come before Roxas, but the way Roxas was clenching around his length was making it incredibly difficult. He slowed his hip movement slightly, making deep, slow thrusts instead of sharp, shallow ones, knowing that Roxas loved a good slow screw.

It worked. Roxas came so hard that his vision went white and he screamed out incoherent blasphemies, pounding his fists on the wall because the pleasure was _too_ good, it was going to drive him fucking _insane_. Sora lasted for a further minute, pounding into the trembling blonde wildly in his desperation to get off, before he buried his face in Roxas's neck and came inside him, moaning softly and encircling the blonde's waist with his arms as he rode out the wave of his own forceful orgasm.

"I'm gonna be late for class," the brunette muttered into his lover's neck after a minute or so, making Roxas chuckle.

"I'll drive you in, it'll be fine." He still sounded winded and his voice was hoarse from all the screaming, sounding like he had just done a full set on stage rather than just had some spontaneous shower sex.

They disengaged themselves and finished showering, washing off the evidence of their lovemaking as quickly as they could. Sora rubbed his eyes, still not quite fully awake despite just having fucked Roxas's brains out. He didn't function well in the mornings and he hadn't had a chance to drink his coffee yet. When they got out of the shower and began to towel off and dress, Roxas was quicker than Sora so he went into the kitchen and turned the espresso machine on, having noticed the way his boyfriend was trying to put his jeans on back to front.

As the machine rumbled, heating up water for Sora's caffeine kick, Roxas leaned against the counter and fiddled absently with his drying hair. He was trying to work up the courage to tell Sora how he felt, but every time he had gone to say it so far, the words had gotten stuck in his throat.

Just as the machine clicked and his boyfriend emerged from the bathroom, Roxas's cell went off, alerting him that he had a message. He handed the coffee mug to Sora, who went and sat down at the table like a zombie. The blonde grabbed a yoghurt from the fridge and sat down opposite Sora, getting his phone out of his pocket and flipping it open. He had a message from Cloud.

**Its Mom's 40****th**** today.**

Roxas winced. He still hadn't reconciled with his parents, despite Sora and Cloud's gentle nudges to do so. He wanted to; spending the few days with Sora's family had made him realise how much he missed having parental figures in his life. But, as was the case with so many other parts of his life, he was scared. Of what, he wasn't sure.

Sora looked at him in concern. "What's up?" he mumbled, taking a large gulp of his coffee. He shuddered as a rush of caffeine coursed through his veins, his pupils shrinking a little.

Roxas handed him the cell phone and began to eat his yoghurt silently. Sora read the message and made a small noise of understanding.

"You gonna call her?"

Roxas gave him a look that quite clearly stated that his answer was negative. Sora rolled his eyes and handed the cell phone back to his boyfriend. He finished the rest of his coffee and then stood up and stretched. Roxas admired the lean muscles of his lover's stomach as the thin t-shirt he was wearing rode up.

"Mind if I drive to the campus?" Sora asked. He began to pick up things from around the room that he would need for his class, putting them in his blue messenger bag. Roxas disposed of his empty yoghurt pot and washed his hands.

"Sure, if you want to." He had put Sora on his car's insurance policy a month ago, because Sora just loved driving his car. It was also helpful when they went drinking because either one could be the designated driver rather than just Roxas.

They emerged into the early morning light, holding hands and taking in deep breaths of the spring dew scent in the air. It was warm enough now that they didn't have to wear coats, and both were wearing jeans, t-shirts and light jackets. The sun was already high in the sky despite it only being seven-thirty, and they both pulled out their sunglasses to avoid the harsh glare of the sun.

They hopped in the car, Sora settling into the driver's seat and adjusting the chair because he liked to sit further away from the wheel than Roxas. Roxas kicked back in the passenger seat, throwing out a casual reminder to Sora that he only needed a little bit of gas to move off. The brunette constantly stalled the car because he forgot how much power the engine put out.

They set off with no mishaps and Roxas relaxed, trusting in Sora's good driving skills. He turned the radio on and DJ Demyx's early morning show filled the car. Sora drummed his fingers on the wheel as they sat at traffic lights, nodding his head to the upbeat music that their favourite DJ always played.

They reached the junction that lead onto the main carriageway through Midgar. Instead of going left to get to the university though, Sora peeled out onto the highway heading in the other direction. Roxas stared at him.

"You're going the wrong way," he said, thinking that the coffee he had made Sora hadn't been strong enough.

Sora smirked. "No I'm not," he replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it to the blonde.

Roxas stared at the address written on the paper. "This is…" he started, but he cut himself off, scrunching up the note in his fist. "Sora, turn the car around, _now_."

Sora shook his head. "No can do, Roxas. I'm taking you hostage for the day."

"What about classes?" Roxas gritted out between clenched teeth, glaring at Sora furiously. One of his knuckles made a cracking sound as he squeezed his fist even harder, pulverising the paper.

"It's not going to kill me if I miss one day. Besides, this is much more important."

Roxas snarled. "I'm never talking to you again."

"You'll thank me when today is over," Sora said absently, ignoring the threat. He grabbed the paper from Roxas before it could be completely ruined and set it on the dashboard, pushing down on the gas pedal and speeding down the highway. Tall grey buildings flew past them in an ash coloured blur, but Roxas barely noticed them over his building rage.

"How the hell did you get my parent's address?" he spat. Sora didn't flinch despite the fact that Roxas looked about ready to maim and kill. He was used to Roxas's temper and the tantrums he was prone to having when he had to do something he didn't want to.

"Cloud gave it to me."

"So you were planning on doing this?" Roxas growled. He fell back in his seat and stared at the door handle, wondering how much it would hurt if he threw himself out of the car right now. Sora noticed this and pressed the child lock.

"Actually, I wasn't planning this. But when you showed me that message, I decided it's high time you got off that horse and made up with your folks. I wanna meet them already and I'm sick and tired of you moping about it every time I call my Mom."

Roxas sent him a glare. He hadn't realised that Sora had noticed his mood changes whenever the brunette was on the phone to his mother. "I can't believe you would do this, you sneaky little shit."

"Like I said, you'll thank me later," Sora said again. He took the upcoming exit and drove them into the outer suburbs of Midgar. Rows upon rows of neatly terraced houses lined the streets. The cars were all the same, family hatchbacks with sensible fuel economies. They passed a few bus stops, where children were queuing to take the bus to school. It was all glaringly normal.

"I hate you so much," Roxas muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. Sora stifled a snigger, knowing that it would only worsen Roxas's foul mood.

"I put some of my landscape paintings in my messenger bag," the brunette said casually, checking the street names as he passed them. He had never been in this part of Midgar before, but he wasn't about to ask Roxas for directions. "You can give your Mom them for her birthday, if you like, seeing as you didn't get a chance to buy her anything."

Roxas scowled but reached back and grabbed the bag off the backseat. He opened it and pulled out an A3 plastic document folder, finding that some of Sora's best paintings were in it. Including his favourite one of the view from the clock tower at Station Heights, with the blue crystal refracting the sun rays.

"I can't…" he stuttered, staring from the folder to his boyfriend and back again. "Sora, I can't give her these…"

"You can," Sora said firmly. "I already have prints of all of those anyway."

"But-"

"You don't get a choice in this, Roxas. It's her fortieth for god's sake; you don't turn forty every day of the week." The car slowed as they came upon the right street turning, and Sora twisted the wheel and pulled into the avenue. It was a nice little neighbourhood. The front gardens were well-kept and the houses were relatively nice, clearly owned by upper middle class families with above average incomes. A few sprinklers were watering the lawns of some of the houses.

Sora checked the number on the address that Cloud had given him and began checking the houses as they drove past them. Roxas glared at his shoes, refusing to help.

They pulled into the driveway of number 82, where a blue Jaguar X-Type was sat. It looked like it had just been washed, which wouldn't surprise Sora in the slightest. This seemed like the type of neighbourhood where all the men donned their old clothes and washed their cars together on a Sunday.

A vacant looking auburn dog was sat on the lawn, and when the car pulled into the driveway it erupted into a chorus of loud barking, throwing itself at the fence that separated them. When Roxas stepped out of the car, the barking only got louder.

"Pluto," Roxas muttered, but there was a tone of affection in his voice. "He still remembers me, I see." He walked up to the fence and patted the dog cautiously. Pluto's eyes rolled with delight and he proceeded to slobber all over Roxas's hand, much to Sora's amusement.

"Let's go ring the doorbell before your parent's wonder why he's barking so much," Sora said, grabbing hold of his boyfriend's arm and pulling him up the path. Pluto followed them from behind the fence, his barks reducing to excited yelps.

Roxas stared at the door. It had been painted since he had last seen it, five years ago as he slammed it behind him, his guitar on his back. It had been black and faded then. Now, it was a glossy white. The numbers had been replaced as well, and were brassy, gold and shiny. If he ignored the stone cat that was sitting on the doorstep that had been there since he was a child, he could almost convince himself that this wasn't Number 82, Key Street, but was in fact Number 82 of another street. Not his parent's house. Not the place he had been avoiding since he was fifteen, that contained a whole box full of memories he both wanted to remember and didn't ever want to think of again.

He realised he had been spacing out when Sora's face popped into his line of vision, obscuring the door. "Are you gonna ring or what?" the brunette asked. When Roxas didn't move, he shrugged. "No problem, I can do it." And before Roxas could say anything, Sora reached out and pressed the doorbell, setting off a melodic chime somewhere inside the house.

Roxas's palms were sweating now. He was itching to turn around and run away. Sora, sensing this, moved behind him, so that Roxas was trapped between the door and his boyfriend. He swallowed, staring at the white portal into his memories as he heard footsteps behind it, growing closer and closer.

It would have been more dramatic and appropriate, if time had slowed down as the door handle turned. If all life had grinded to a halt. If the birds had stopped chirruping in the sycamores and the wind had died, leaving only silence in its wake. But the only thing that happened was that Roxas's heart rate increased at least a hundred times over. It was pounding like a jackhammer in his chest, and when he glanced down he could actually see his t-shirt twitching in time with the racing organ.

The door opened without dramatics save for a small intake of breath from Roxas, and stood in the doorway was a tall, slender middle-aged man in a fitted navy suit. His hair was the same shocking blonde as Roxas's and was messily spiked all over the place. His eyes were the same ocean blue. The only difference between him and the boy on the doorstep was the faint age lines around his eyes, and the three inches in height he had over the boy.

The man's facial expression barely shifted when he saw just who was ringing his doorbell at eight o'clock on a Monday morning. His eyes roved up and down Roxas with cool detachment, as he fixed his tie that had been hanging undone around his neck. Roxas swallowed whilst the man threaded the tie through the knot and tightened it, adjusting it around his neck and then tucking it down inside his cream sweater.

When the man had finished doing his tie up, he spoke. "Hello, Roxas."

He had a very calm voice, and under any other circumstances, Sora would have found it soothing. Right now though, he could sense his boyfriend's blatant terror, and so the man's voice was cold rather than calming.

Roxas swallowed loudly. "Hi, Dad."

They stood there, staring at each other for a few moments. Pluto had finally shut up and settled for licking Sora's hand through the fence as if trying to memorize the taste of the new guest. Sora barely noticed as he watched the two men, who were hardly blinking.

Finally, the older man spoke. "You got taller."

Roxas nodded, his throat dry. "Yeah," he responded, unable to think of anything else to say. His Dad hadn't changed in the slightest, save for a few more wrinkles around the eyes.

Mr Strife's eyes flicked over Roxas's shoulder to look at Sora, who was shifting from one foot to the other as if he needed to go to the bathroom. "Your boyfriend?"

Roxas blinked. "How did you know?"

"Cloud told me. Well, don't stand there dawdling. Go in and wish your mother a happy birthday." The man stood to the side and jerked his head in the direction of a door at the end of the brightly lit hallway.

"R-right," Roxas mumbled. He cautiously stepped through the door, shuddering as he inhaled the familiar scent of the pine cleaning products his mother always used to clean the house. He slipped his shoes off and put them in the rack. He glanced at his father, as if searching for permission to enter further into the house.

To his complete surprise, his father placed a slender hand on his shoulder. "We missed you," the man said honestly. Roxas was taken aback. He had expected his father to slam the door in his face, or at the very least be cold and distant with him. But now, he was drawing Roxas in for a loose hug. And to Roxas's utter amazement, he murmured quietly in his son's ear, "I'm sorry."

It was like a floodgate had been opened with those words. Two little words that Roxas had waited five years to hear. He hiccupped dangerously, shaking in his father's embrace, and the arms around him tightened. He felt his father taking deep breaths. His dad was trying not to cry. That did it for Roxas. Without warning, he burst into floods of tears.

"D-dad," he choked out, grabbing fistfuls of his father's blazer and dropping his forehead on the man's shoulder. "I…" Words failed him. He wanted to say so many things. I hate you. I love you. I missed you. I'm sorry too. I can't forgive you. I forgive you. Please forgive me. So many conflicting emotions were eating away at each other in his chest, and all he could do was cry, sobbing raggedly into his father's suit that had probably only just been dry-cleaned from the smell of it, whilst his dad patted his shoulders awkwardly and heaved in deep, calming breaths.

"Roxas?"

Sora, who had been patting Pluto docilely in a bid to give the two some privacy, looked around the hugging pair to see a woman standing in the hallway. If she was Roxas's mother, she looked nothing like him. She was short, probably no taller than 5'2", with rosy skin and sleek black hair that cascaded down her back like a midnight waterfall, reaching to her waist. Her eyes were lime green and large, fringed with sooty lashes. It was clear that Roxas had inherited all of his genes concerning looks from his father, as had Cloud apparently.

Roxas pulled away from his father's embrace a little, wiping his eyes furiously with his fists. He looked at the woman standing in the hallway, and made a choking noise.

"M-Mom?"

"Roxas?!" the woman said again, this time with more incredulity. "Is it… oh sweet lord, is it really you? My baby's come home?"

It was Mr Strife who answered. "He's back, Ruth." And just like that, Mrs Strife also burst into tears. Sora blinked as the woman rushed forward and joined in the hug that the father and son had been sharing, tears streaming down her face. She barely came up to Roxas's shoulder, so she buried her face in his chest and broke down completely.

"I missed you _so_ much," she cried. Mr Strife put his arms around both his wife and son and pulled them in close. To Sora, it looked slightly bizarre. They were still stood on the threshold in a group hug, two grown adults and a teenager who virtually _never_ cried, all sobbing into each other's clothes and clinging to each other like the apocalypse was coming.

He felt like he shouldn't be there. He shifted uncomfortably, still stroking Pluto's head and completely ignoring the drool that was coating most of his forearm. But it was going a lot better than he had expected. He had at least thought, from Roxas's description of his parents, that there would be shouting and arguing. But from his impression, Roxas's parents were two very normal people who just wanted their son back in their lives. And clearly, five years of unspoken emotions were now breaking through the cracks of all three reunited people, and it didn't look like the crying was going to stop anytime soon.

Sora turned and walked down the path to the driveway, feeling extremely out of place. He unlocked the vehicle and sat down in the driver's seat. He may as well do something whilst the family reconciled. Noticing the slobber on his arm, he cursed and grabbed a tissue, wiping himself off as he rummaged in his bag for his sketchbook. He pulled it out and grabbed his pencil case. With the door of the car open and his legs hanging out onto the driveway, he proceeded to continue with a sketch for one of his class projects, occasionally glancing up at the house to see what was going on. Pluto sat on the lawn, not sure who to stare at, opting to try and focus one eye on the family and one on Sora, and only resulting in going cross-eyed.

Sora had nearly finished the final lines of his sketch of Kairi when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He glanced up and saw that Roxas was waving to him, beckoning him to come back into the house. His eyes were red and puffy, but the hugest grin Sora had ever seen the boy wear was spread on his face. His parents were stood behind him, trying to look like they hadn't been crying and eyeing Sora with interest.

They were ushered into the living room. It was a pretty standard lounge, with forest green carpeting, soft sofas and a new flatscreen television. An electric fire sat under the mantelpiece but was not on. There were lots of photos in frames all over the walls. Sora took delight in the photo of what was clearly a young Roxas and a young Cloud sat in a paddling pool in their underwear, their wild locks soaked and their faces sunburnt as they grinned without a care in the world.

He and Roxas sat down on the loveseat and the Strife parents sat down on the sofa adjacent to it. Mrs Strife (or Ruth, as she had asked to be called) was looking positively elated, and Sora wondered vaguely if this was the best birthday present she had ever had. It certainly looked that way from the expression on her face. Mr Strife (who had asked to be called Neil) was trying to hide an infectious grin that kept spreading across his handsome features.

"It's so wonderful to meet you Sora," Ruth gushed, her hands clasped in her lap. "Cloud told us all about you; we think it's wonderful that Roxas has found happiness at last!"

Roxas blinked then. "Wait a sec; you aren't mad that I'm gay?"

Neil stared at him. "Why would we be? There's nothing wrong with it, is there? You two are happy and treat each other well, and that's all that matters to us."

It was so completely different from the reaction Roxas had expected that he was thrown completely, unable to formulate words. He had thought his father would react like Sora's had. But Neil, the same man who had pushed and pushed him into a law career and forbidden him to follow a music vocation, the same man who used to lock Roxas in his room until he had finished all his homework, was calmly accepting his son's sexuality as though they were talking about the weather.

Sora noticed that Roxas had been rendered temporarily mute, and decided to speak for him. "I'm so pleased to finally meet both of you," he said, smiling genuinely at the pair. He liked them immediately. All the images he had built up in his head of Neil being like his own father and Ruth being stern and strict were crumbling down. They were just normal parents. Sure, they may have been a bit pushy and tried to force Roxas down a career path he didn't want, but they loved their son so obviously they may as well have had it written on their foreheads.

They exchanged a few pleasantries, introducing themselves. Neil was a judge at the Midgar Magistrate Court. Whilst this earned the family plenty of money, they had chosen to stay in the house they had raised their children in, and were investing most of the money Neil earned into an elaborate retirement plan. They had paid off their mortgage and lived easy lives without financial worry, but weren't flamboyant and extravagant with their money.

Ruth was technically a house wife, but she volunteered for a lot of local charities, in particular ones that helped children living on the streets. Roxas had squirmed guiltily at this as he realised that he had been the one to push him mother into helping with such causes, having been a street child himself at one point. He wondered how much Cloud had told them about what he had done when he had been living on the streets. He was fairly sure they knew about the drugs, but doubted Cloud had told them about his former career in prostitution.

Once they had introduced themselves, Neil got up and said he was going to make a phonecall to work, saying that he couldn't make it in that day. "I didn't have any cases today anyway," he said gently when Roxas and Sora tried to protest. "Besides, what kind of father would I be if I went to work instead of spending time with my own son and his partner?" He left the room, saying he would make tea whilst he was on the phone in the kitchen.

Roxas grabbed the messenger bag he had been clutching the entire time and looked at Sora for confirmation that it was really okay to give away his paintings like this. After meeting Ruth and Neil, Sora was more certain than ever, and he nodded enthusiastically. Roxas smiled at him gratefully and stood up, walking over to sit next to his mother on the sofa.

"Mom, Sora and I brought some presents for you," he said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Immediately, Ruth's eyes welled up.

"Oh my word," she gasped gently, "you two didn't have to get me anything! Just having my son back in my life and meeting Sora has made this birthday the most special day of my life!"

Roxas flushed at her extravagance and Sora grinned. Roxas continued, "Even so, Sora especially wants you to have these." He reached into the bag and pulled out the folder of paintings. He placed it in his mother's lap. "He painted all of them himself, Mom."

Ruth looked like she was about to cry again. She stared at Sora with wordless thanks, her eyes so full of love and appreciation that Sora felt himself tearing up a bit. She opened the folder and slid the paintings out, thumbing through them numbly. Most of them were pretty landscapes of Midgar, but when she came across the Station Heights painting, she actually started crying again.

"Oh boys," she whispered, one hand going to her chest as if she were in pain. She looked at Sora, her eyes wide and streaming with silent tears. "You painted all of these?"

Sora swallowed and nodded.

"And you're giving them to me?"

"Yeah," the brunette said, and he was amazed to find that his voice broke. He cleared his throat. "I want you to have them. Most of them were inspired by Roxas, so they're just as much his gift as they are mine."

Ruth looked at her son who was blushing furiously and staring at the textured wallpaper. "Thank you, both of you," she murmured in a tremulous voice, wiping at her eyes. "This is more than I ever expected to get on my birthday."

Roxas looked sheepish. "Thank Sora," he mumbled. "If it weren't for him, I would never have come. I've been meaning to, but I was scared that… you wouldn't want me."

Ruth slid the paintings back into the folder carefully and set them down next to the sofa. She twisted in her seat and placed her hands on Roxas's cheeks. "You are my son, Roxas," she said seriously, looking him in the eyes. "I will _always_ love you, no matter what you choose to do in life. Not because it is my duty to as a parent, but because you mean the world to me. You are my child, my life and soul. You, Cloud and Neil are what makes my world turn. As long as you're _happy_, Roxas, I am happy."

"My thoughts exactly." They all looked up to see Neil walking in with a tray of steaming mugs. He set them down carefully on one of the side tables and then sat down on Roxas's other side. "I should never have pushed you like I did, Roxas. It was selfish of me to think that you would be wasting your intelligence by becoming a musician. I thought I was acting in your interests, but in the end, it was clear that I was only thinking of myself, and my reputation."

Roxas sighed. He felt incredibly guilty now. All of the good memories that he had suppressed in the last five years were washing over him, reminding him of how wonderful his parent's had been even before he ran away. He felt childish, and selfish.

"No," he said, "I'm the one who should be apologising, not you two. I ran away without thinking of how much it would hurt you, or Cloud, or even myself. I was childish and could only think of the bad times, but I realise now that there were so many more good times that I didn't appreciate. I shouldn't have run away like I did, and I'm sorry for putting you through so much over the years. I… I've been a terrible son."

Neil and Ruth enveloped him in a hug at the same time. "We don't care about that," Ruth murmured in his ear.

"The important thing is, you're home. You're back in our lives," Neil said in his other ear.

"Just holding you like this is enough." They embraced him tightly, and more tears slid down his cheeks.

"Welcome home, Roxas."

* * *

_I hope you liked this chapter, it was really nice to write. FINALLY after five years, Roxas is reunited with his parents._

**Edit: **Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, next week there is no update. I have like a million and one social engagements (one of which is a date with a Naruto lookalike BOOYAH), so I will not have the time in any way, shape or form to write chapter 21. Expect one the following week though :D

_Please review :D  
_


	21. Blurry

_-looks guilty- I'm REALLY sorry for the three week wait! Really, I can't stress how bad I feel for leaving you all waiting like that! But the angst that is to come was scaring me off, not to mention my social life suddenly ressurrected itself from the dead :O For those who asked, yes, my date with the Naruto lookalike went very well thank you :D But yeah, suddenly I've started going out again and being sociable and stuff, so this chapter was hard to write. And I decided to be silly and write a few Naruto one-shots when I should have been writing this v.v_

_So, first of all, I should say that I don't have the time, commitment or mental capacity to keep to a deadline with this anymore. I will try my hardest to update once a week, but if I don't, please don't kill me :S Second of all, it's ANGST TIME. No more fluffy stuff now peeps... so if you don't like it, consider chapter twenty to be the last chapter... I is sowwy D:  
Thirdly, I am going to continue working on Naruto one-shots whilst I work on this, but please don't think I am devoting any less time to this because of that...  
_

_Right, the song for this chapter is 'Blurry' by Puddle of Mudd. Good tune :)_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy VII.  
_**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty-One

Blurry

The ride home was rather subdued. Roxas was mentally exhausted and sat slumped in the passenger seat with a small smile on his face, staring at the fine lines in the palms of his hands whilst Sora drove through the bustling city. Sora didn't try to start a conversation, knowing that Roxas was revelling in a mixture of pure elation and utter confusion, and so contented himself with listening to the radio and humming along quietly.

Roxas wasn't sure what to think, if he was perfectly honest with himself. It was definitely incredible to have reconciled with his parents, but the hatred that had been settled in his stomach for so long couldn't just dissipate like that – it had transformed into another negative feeling, guilt. He was racked with the knowledge that his parents had been suffering from his absence, and that what had probably been a total overreaction on his part had broken their family apart. It was going to take a long time to pick up all the pieces, and even several years down the line they still might not find all the shards, some of them being swept away like trash and never to be found again.

Still, he could not deny that he was grateful to his boyfriend for the push in the right direction. He couldn't bring himself to resent what Sora had done, although he had been furious at the time. Part of it was that he was just infuriatingly infatuated with the ditzy brunette, but it was also accountable to the fact that the visit had been nothing if not beneficial.

The blonde glanced across to Sora, who was jiggling slightly in his seat as he sang along to some trashy pop music whilst he waited for the light to change. He couldn't read Sora's expression, which appeared to be happy and lost in the music, but his eyes were clearly preoccupied with something else. He didn't seem sad or upset though. Just thoughtful.

The light changed, and Sora immediately stopped singing to change gear and move off, but he kept nodding his head which caused his bangs to flick him in the face every now and then. Roxas's smile widened a fraction. Sora had that effect – you just couldn't keep the grin off your face when he was around.

They pulled up in the parking lot of Roxas's apartment and Sora cut the engine.

"Right, let's go and have some dinner, I'm fucking starving," the brunette announced as he unbuckled his seatbelt. A pale hand on his arm caused him to pause, and he turned to look over at its owner. He blinked in surprise when Roxas leant across the centre console and kissed him softly.

"Thank you," the blonde murmured quietly against his lips when the chaste kiss ended.

"Welcome," Sora replied, his face colouring a little. Roxas caught the blush and smirked, leaning in to kiss Sora again. This time, he ran his tongue along the seam of Sora's lips coaxingly, and made an appreciative sound when the brunette opened his mouth and let Roxas in. Their tongues played and twisted and the sound of their increasingly laboured breathing filled the car. Roxas closed his eyes and slid his hand up Sora's arm to the brunette's shoulder, gripping it firmly whilst his other hand moved into Sora's thick locks. He tangled his pale fingers in the soft strands close to Sora's scalp and tilted Sora's head to the side a bit more to deepen the kiss.

"Ah..." Sora gasped into his boyfriend's mouth, clenching his fists into Roxas's t-shirt as he felt a familiar heat pooling in his groin. He couldn't resist it when Roxas played with his hair; it made him completely willing to whatever Roxas wanted, and Roxas knew this perfectly well.

"Mmm," Roxas growled, pulling away only to lick teasingly at Sora's swollen lips, "You always taste so good, Sora..."

"Hah," the breathless brunette replied, clenching his eyes shut when Roxas began to kiss along his jaw line towards his neck. Roxas planted a few sweet kisses on the sensitive patch of skin just under Sora's ear before moving up to take the earlobe between his teeth and bite down gently.

"Oh god..." Sora mumbled, tightening his grip on Roxas's shirt.

"Sora," Roxas whispered, right in the boy's ear. He was going to say it. He had hidden it from the boy for long enough, it was time for Sora to know that the feelings were returned.

"Roxas, I love you so fucking much," Sora whimpered into Roxas's collarbone.

"I know," the blonde replied. He turned his face and pressed a kiss to the angular curve of Sora's jaw. "I love you too, Sora."

Sora stiffened. Roxas continued to kiss and nuzzle at his neck, letting it sink in, but when Sora didn't do anything for a full moment, he pulled away so that he could see Sora's face. He frowned at what he saw.

"Idiot, why are you crying?"

Sora jerked, his eyes focusing, and brought one hand up to touch the tears slowly creeping over his cheeks. "I didn't realise," he mumbled, and began to wipe them away with the back of his hand. Roxas wasn't sure if he was referring to the tears or Roxas's statement.

"I mean it, you know," he said, hooking one finger under Sora's chin and forcing the boy to look at him. "I love you. I think I have this entire time, but I was too scared to say it."

Sora swallowed shakily and a few more tears snuck out of the corners of his eyes. He wasn't properly crying, but he looked pretty shocked. Roxas knew that Sora didn't really know what to say, so he decided to make words unnecessary by kissing him again. He tasted salt on Sora's lips and kissed it away. He didn't care if Sora was crying out of happiness, he never wanted to be the cause of him crying.

Sora started to kiss back, and this time it wasn't the sweet, languid kisses that they had previously been sharing. There was a sense of urgency stretched between the two of them that they could both feel in their lips, their fingers, their nerve endings. They bit and licked at each other's mouths, gasps escalating to voiced moans and hands exploring the torsos they both knew off by heart already.

When they stopped and pressed their foreheads together, breathing heavily and cheeks flushed pink, Sora finally replied.

"Thank you."

* * *

After a frantic sex session against the apartment door, the two boys had ordered pizza and curled up on Roxas's huge white couch together, a movie on in the background that neither of them were really watching. Their hands were intertwined and most of the time, their eyes were closed, both just enjoying the feeling of each other's proximity and warmth and the scent of their loved one. Occasionally, Sora would laugh at something Ron Burgundy said, and because Roxas had his head on Sora's chest, he would be jostled and would grumble half-heartedly. When the pizza arrived, they sat up to eat it and then cleaned up, before turning the movie off and crawling into bed with each other.

Roxas could have been mistaken, but he was fairly sure that Sora held him a lot tighter that night as they spooned up against each other. And when Sora fell asleep before him, the brunette didn't toss and turn nearly as much as he had done before, remaining curled up against his boyfriend's back with his faced buried in Roxas's hair.

And Roxas didn't realise it, but when he went to sleep, he turned over and curled into Sora like a puppy seeking warmth from its mother, and somehow their hands became intertwined. They smiled in their sleep together, and finally, everything felt right with the world.

* * *

But it is ironic how as soon as things start to go right in one aspect of your life, another part you had completely forgotten about decides to make itself known and completely ruin everything.

They noticed nothing weird when they woke up, of course. Sora got up early because he had to go to classes, and Roxas stayed in bed whilst his boyfriend showered, revelling in a half-awake reverie of the scent of Sora on the pillows and the sound of his awful singing in the shower along to DJ Demyx. When Sora came back in, fully dressed, he put one knee on the bed and leaned forward to kiss Roxas softly.

"You have a modelling shoot today, don't you?" he asked as Roxas forced himself to open his eyes. Sora smelled like soap and citrus shampoo.

"Yeah, at one o'clock," Roxas murmured, getting into a sitting position and rubbing the sleepy dust from his eyes. Sora sat down on the bed and kissed him again, his tongue cool and minty from toothpaste. Blonde lashes fluttered down onto pale cheeks with a smattering of pale freckles as Roxas let Sora into his mouth, content to submit whilst he was still half-asleep. Sora pushed Roxas's bangs out of the way and kissed him deeply, as if he would never see him again though they were both going for a meal with Kairi, Riku, Xion and Axel that evening.

Roxas mewled in protest when the kiss ended, his face flushed. Sora grinned at him, and kissed his forehead.

"I'll see you at mine at six," he said, getting off the bed and picking up his bag.

"Have a good day," Roxas mumbled, already snuggling back down under the covers like a bug.

"You too baby."

And then the sound of the door closing echoed softly throughout the apartment, and Roxas fell back asleep.

* * *

The modelling shoot was taking place in a studio near to the ShinRa electric company. A new swimwear company had chosen Roxas to model their male surf range, and as soon as he arrived he was shoved into a make-up booth by his agent Yuffie, who was clutching an armload of rash vests and boardshorts.

Whilst a woman attacked his face with powder and a brush (much to his distaste), Yuffie nattered in his ear about what poses he should pull and the meal she had had with her boyfriend the night before. Roxas had met Vincent once, and never wanted to meet the guy again. He was a downright scary dude, and Roxas didn't understand how he put up with Yuffie and her fucking _energy_.

He spent the day changing in and out of outfits and standing in front of various beach backdrops, trying not to look like he would rather be back in bed. Preferably with a certain brunette. Naked. Every now and then his imagination would wander, which was dangerous because swim shorts do nothing to hide a male's arousal, and more than once Yuffie had to subtly suggest that they use the surfboard prop in some photos to cover Roxas's modesty.

He couldn't help it though! Images of the night before when he had slammed Sora up against the door of their apartment and fucked him senseless kept swimming through his mind and then he would start to fantasize about perhaps using those handcuffs he had bought a few weeks ago, or maybe investing in some mirrors on his ceiling... yeah, mirrors would be cool...

"Roxas!" He snapped to attention when the photographer called him and then changed his pose, thankful that he wasn't visibly aroused this time and they had just thought he was zoning out. The representative from the swimwear range was watching him with concern, probably worried that he was a bit too spaced out to be their model.

He was in a particularly vulnerable pose, on all fours on top of some fake sand with some water drizzled through his hair, when his cell phone rang in Yuffie's hand where she was perusing pictures of him and Sora (probably looking for naughty pictures, knowing her).

"Yuffie Kisaragi," she said, answering his phone as she usually did when he was on shoot. Roxas didn't look over, continuing to stare half-provocatively at the camera and trying not to get sand in his hair.

"He's currently unavailable, might I ask who's speaking?... Zack? Who the hell is Zack?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Band mate, Yuffie," he called as he lay back on the sand and pretended to be looking at the sky.

"Oh _that_ Zack! How are you?" There was a pause, in which Yuffie's smile slowly slipped off her face as Zack said something Roxas had no way of hearing. "One moment," she muttered, and then went over to the photographer and asked for a time out.

"Roxas, can you come to the dressing room?" she asked. Frowning, Roxas got up and dusted the sand off his outfit and slipped on his trainers, following her into the dressing room. Yuffie handed him his cell phone and then excused herself, shutting the door behind her.

"Roxas speaking?"

"Fuck, Roxas! This is a freaking _emergency_ and you're busy posing in front of a fucking camera!"

Roxas pulled the phone away from his ear as if it had burned him, staring at it. Zack _never_ said insulting things like that, no matter how dire the situation. He brought the phone back to his ear. "What do you mean, emergency?"

"Aerith and Tifa have gone missing!" Zack yelled down the phone. In the background, Roxas could hear Riku telling Zack to calm down, and then something that sounded like a glass shattered, followed by lots of swearing.

"What?" Roxas hissed, clutching the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"They're fucking gone!" Zack shouted angrily. It sounded like he was having a panic attack, which was frightening because Zack was the band member least likely to lose his head in a crisis, possibly apart from Riku. "Aerith never came back from her last shift at the hospital before her maternity leave, and Tifa isn't at the bar and won't pick up her fucking cell phone!"

Actually, it was totally understandable that Zack was losing it, Roxas thought as Zack gave more details about the disappearances. After all, Aerith was Zack's fiancée and Tifa was his little sister. There couldn't be anything more terrifying for the sable-haired man to experience right now. Somehow, Roxas was calmly thinking this, as if with detachment as Zack told him about how Aerith had been at a night shift at the hospital, and had left after her shift and just never come home, whilst Tifa never turned up to work at the bar and was totally unreachable on her two cell phones.

"What are we going to do?" Roxas asked, sounding scarily calm, possibly because Zack was freaking out enough for both of them. Though his heart was hammering so hard it felt like his sternum would collapse under the pressure and his eyes were wide enough to show the blood vessels at the outer edges.

"It's fucking Seifer, I just know it!" Zack hissed venomously. It sounded like he was pacing. "He's made his move at last, Roxas, I can just tell it's him! He's targeting our loved ones to get to us!"

"We don't know that Zack," Roxas said, but Zack wasn't listening because suddenly Riku started shouting on the other end of the phone. There was a clattering, suggesting the mobile device had been dropped, and then rustling as someone else picked it up.

"Roxas?" Cloud's voice echoed in his ear. He sounded hollow. It hurt Roxas more than Zack's panic attack. "Can you hear me Roxas?"

"I hear you, Cloud," he replied, wondering what the hell Zack and Riku were shouting about in the background.

"Kairi's missing too. She never came back from her lunch break."

Now Roxas could feel sweat crawling down his skin. He felt cold and clammy, and ill. Aerith, Zack's fiancée, gone. Tifa, Zack's sister and Cloud's most precious person, gone. Kairi, Riku's life partner, gone. Which meant...

"Sora could be in danger," Cloud said, voicing what Roxas had already figured out. "Roxas, you _have_ to warn him. Get him to hide somewhere. There is no questioning that Seifer is behind this."

"How can you be so sure?" Roxas asked in a shaky voice, even though inside he knew that there was no other explanation. Why else would three of their loved ones disappear within twenty-four hours and none of them be reachable by cell phone? It was too much of a coincidence.

Cloud said as much, though he sounded close to breaking. Riku and Zack had stopped shouting and the background of the conversation was eerily quiet. Roxas could hear the pulse in his head, thumping like a crazed man in a padded cell.

"I've got to call Sora," he mumbled, and pressed the 'End Call' button. He speed-dialled 6 and listened to the ringing tone, each one seeming longer and more foreboding than the last. His hand was fisted in the brand new rash vest he was wearing and when he looked in the large mirror on the wall, his eyes were wild and his face was so drained of colour that his usually non-existent freckles stood out as though they were flecks of mud or chocolate.

"Pick up the fucking phone," he growled.

_Hey, you reached Sora's answer phone, leave a message after the beep!_

He smashed his fist into the wall, wincing when he felt the old injury in his wrist flare up. The beep sounded in his ear.

"Sora?" he croaked hopefully, as if Sora had just pretended he was the answer machine for a joke. Nothing answered him. "Sora, I fucking hope you're in class right now... listen, call me as soon as you get this... don't go outside and stay with your friends. This is an _emergency!_"

The door opened and Yuffie came in, blanching at the sight of Roxas's wild expression. "I've cancelled the rest of the shoot," she said quietly, and Roxas slumped slightly in relief even as he continued to talk to Sora's answer machine. "You hear me, Sora? This is an emergency! Seifer's made his move and people are going missing! Call me _as soon as you get this_... I... I love you..."

He closed the phone, and resisted throwing it at the wall. "Shit!" he hissed, kicking the waste paper basket as hard as he could. Yuffie swallowed. She had heard most of the details from Zack already.

"Do you want to go home, Roxas?"

"No, I'm going to pick him up from campus. No fucking way is he using public transport."

He changed so quickly that he didn't notice that his t-shirt was on inside out, and stormed out to his car with Yuffie calling after him that she hoped everything would be okay.

"FUCK!" Roxas yelled when he struggled to get the key in the ignition, his hands were shaking so badly. "Fucking Seifer, you're so fucking DEAD!"

And he meant it. Roxas had never killed anyone, but right there, as he jerked the key and the car roared to life, he swore that if Seifer touched a hair on Sora's head, Roxas would hunt him down and put a fucking bullet through his skull. He didn't care if he went to jail afterwards; Seifer had gone way too far. Roxas couldn't believe he had been friends with the bastard once upon a time!

He pulled out into the heavy lunchtime traffic that always surrounded the ShinRa district, plugging his cell into the hands free system and trying Sora's phone again. "C'mon," he growled, overtaking a Ford that was going far too slowly for his liking, "Pick the fuck up, Sora!"

It cut to answer machine again, and Roxas screamed another stream of swearwords. He cancelled the call without leaving a message this time and took a sharp right up a side street that would take him to the highway quicker.

By all logic, Sora was in class right now, but normally he picked up his phone when it rang in class. It wasn't as if he would be in a lecture, Tuesday was a practical day for Sora and he would be working on a painting, so the phone ringing wouldn't interrupt a teacher or anything. The fact that Sora wasn't answering was just making Roxas panic more and more.

"Fuck's sake," he growled, pulling onto the highway and pressing the call button again. The phone rang twice, and then as Roxas was overtaking an old Jaguar, someone answered on the other side.

"Hello?"

It wasn't Sora. But it wasn't Seifer either. It was a girl's voice.

"Who's this? Where's Sora?" Roxas demanded, constantly checking his mirrors for suspicious vehicles, as he had done since he had been attacked by Seifer's men all those months ago.

"It's Naminé," the girl answered. "Sora's classmate."

"Where is he? Why do you have his cell?!"

"Whoa, Roxas, chill out!" she said, sounding shocked. "He just went to the bathroom and left his phone in the classroom, he'll be back in a minute!"

"He went by himself?!" Roxas roared, taking the exit. He was less than three minutes from the campus.

"Well, yeah..." Naminé said. She sounded really perturbed. "I mean, he's been gone quite a while but Sora gets lost in this building easily... why?"

_Great_. So not only had Sora gone by himself, he didn't know the layout of the fucking building! Which meant that if Seifer's men tried to corner him in the building, he wouldn't know the way to the exit or to the classroom!

"Roxas, what's going on?" Naminé asked, but Roxas ended the call.

"Shit, fuck, fucking _shit_," he growled, taking the turning for the campus. He could see the plum trees that lined the quad. He was nearly there...

His eyes narrowed as they focused on a red van pulling away from the curb, leaving a free parking space right outside Sora's building. _Perfect!_ The car screeched to a halt in the spot, about a foot away from the curb and totally skew-whiff but Roxas was beyond caring. Grabbing his cell phone, he tumbled out of the car and ran towards the building, locking the car with his remote keys.

_Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay!_ It chanted in his head like a holy mantra over the pounding of blood in his ears. He was clenching his phone so hard that that superfluous parts were breaking off it as he ran through the corridors, looking for the classroom Sora had shown him a few months ago.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw a head of brown hair going around the corner towards the classroom. _Sora!_ He picked up the pace, careering around the corner and slamming into the wall before picking himself up and running after Sora.

"Sora!" he yelled, relief and panic rushing through his veins in an icy concoction.

The boy turned, and Roxas was met with confused eyes. But not blue eyes. Brown eyes. Wrong person.

"FUCK!" he screamed, and ran right past the boy towards the classroom, which he could see at the end of the corridor. He could see Naminé through the glass of the door, sat on her stool with a paint brush in her hand, contemplating her canvas.

He burst into the classroom, the door slamming against the wall with a thundering bang. Several students jumped and fell off their high stools, and the supervising teacher squawked in surprise. He stared frantically around, looking for that face that he had memorized by heart, the face he had stared at for hours when he couldn't sleep, the happy-go-lucky grin that lifted his spirits no matter _what_.

"Where is he?" he gasped, holding his knees as he crouched over, gasping raggedly for breath. Naminé stared at him incredulously.

"He still isn't back from the bathroom," she said slowly, putting her paint pallet down and getting off her stool. "Roxas, what the _hell_ is going on?"

"Where... are the bathrooms?" he wheezed out. The teacher was clucking about him leaving the class in peace but he ignored her, staring at Naminé desperately.

"Straight down the hall, first left then second right," Naminé replied. "Roxas, tell me what-"

But Roxas was already gone, leaving a wake of confusion behind him.

He was almost at the bathrooms when his cell phone rang. It was a number he didn't recognize.

"WHAT?!" he yelled, skidding around the corner and bursting into the men's toilets. The stalls were all empty. He was about to turn around when a familiar chuckling filled his ear, turning his blood to ice.

"So crotchety, Roxas! Is that any way to speak to your old friend?"

"Seifer!" he hissed. His stomach had dropped sickeningly and he felt like he was going to vomit. If Sora wasn't here, and Seifer was calling him, that could only mean one thing...

"You know, if you had been a bit more perceptive, you could have stopped us," Seifer laughed, and the sound of male guffawing filled the background. "In fact, you took our parking place."

The red van. The red fucking_ van_. Why the fuck hadn't he been wary of it?! Of course it was suspicious, he should have fucking realised that!

"What the hell are you going to do with him?!" he spat, clutching the sink edge for balance. His vision was a mixture of blurred mirror images, red bloodlust and black oxygen debt. He couldn't see properly. He felt sick and dizzy. Worst, he felt _terrified_.

Seifer laughed again, that hair-raising laugh that made Roxas clench his teeth and growl warningly. "We'll do whatever the hell we like with your little faggot boyfriend, and the three girlies we've got here as well! One of them looks kind of fat though, what the hell does Zack see in her?"

"She's fucking PREGNANT you sick fuck!" Roxas screamed. He felt his knees hitting the cold tiles and then he was slumped against the counter of the sinks, shaking with fury. "If you touch ANY of them, I swear to God I'll fucking kill you!"

"Never knew you were religious, Roxas," Seifer chuckled calmly. It only served to infuriate Roxas more, though he knew that Seifer was just baiting him.

"Shut the fuck up!! What the hell do you want?!"

"We want you, Roxas. We want your life, and immunity from ShinRa and the cops." There was a muffled yell in the background followed by a thump and a groan. "Disgusting faggot piece of shit," Seifer muttered.

"Leave Sora alone!" Roxas voice was becoming choked now, but he was furiously fighting against tears. "Why the hell do you want me?"

"You betrayed me, Roxas," Seifer said with a harsh barking laugh. "You left. And then your fucking brother and his ShinRa friends chased us out of Midgar! You think I'm going to forgive you for that? You think you can just _leave_ the Yakuza and not suffer the consequences?!"

"It wasn't by choice! It was your fault for stuffing me so full of drugs I ended up in hospital!"

"Whatever, the time for explanations is long gone, Roxy," Seifer said, and then laughed again in that same bone-chilling manner. "Call me when you can meet our terms. You've got a week, but I would hurry, because Rai here has been mighty bored and might start killing hostages for fun..." A deep laugh sounded in the background and Roxas clenched his fists.

"You... you dirty..."

"Save it for the reunion, Roxas," Seifer cut off. "You can insult me all you want before I kill you! How's that for a deal?"

"You fucking _bastard_!" But Seifer never heard the last insult, because he had hung up. Roxas dropped his phone and it clattered onto the floor, more parts breaking off from it and skidding across the slightly damp tiles. He fisted both hands in his hair and let out a blood-curdling scream that ricocheted around the bathroom as hot, angry tears began to pour down his face.

* * *

_-dodges flying projectiles- Please don't kill meeeeeeeeee!!!! Please review, this story has a reviewing withdrawal because I left it for so long :S_


	22. Face Down

_-flails- I'm a terrible, terrible author! I'm so sorry for the lack of updates on this story! Feel free to throw cabbages at me :(  
__FINALLY, a new chapter! I hope you all like it!  
__The song for the chapter is Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Trust me, it fits.  
_**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Kingdom Hearts D:_

**

* * *

Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty Two

Face Down

His consciousness came in snatches, dancing at the tips of his fingers before flitting away again into the murky darkness behind his eyelids. He was barely aware of himself. Things which were usually important to him such as his name and where he was, they were superfluous information to him. He couldn't think past the sickening, thrumming ache in his head, in his very brain cells. Absolutely nothing else registered.

For what felt like a cursed eternity, it was just him and the pain. It pulsed maliciously, straining against the confines of his rattled skull. It was like a mutating bacterium, surging beyond its own boundaries and poisoning everything around it. And just as Sora learned to deal with it, the pain would increase tenfold, as if it had found a new way to make him hurt.

He hardly noticed at first, but after an incredibly long period of time his awareness began to return to him in drabbles. It started with the realisation that he was more than just a throbbing head, that there was a body attached to him as well. He had to push past the pain first to recover the sensations in his limbs, which were so heavy that he couldn't move them at all.

After that came thoughts. Information. Racing ideas coursed into his brain all at once, and the murkiness became blinding white as realisation hit him.

His name was Sora Leonheart. He was in love with Roxas Strife. And the last thing he remembered was a man shoving a potent smelling cloth over his mouth and nose in the bathroom.

Sora groaned at the memory of the smell of the cloth as it made his headache flare up like a raging shadow again. His heart was thumping so hard in his chest that he could feel his torso jerking with the force. He could feel now, he knew there was something rough wrapped around his wrists and ankles, limiting his movements. From the way his head kept falling forwards, he was sat up, probably propped against a wall. And as the pain in his head calmed down again, the rumble of an engine and the jolting of the floor beneath him alerted him to the fact that he was in a moving vehicle.

With a strained whimper, he opened his eyes. But everything was black. He blinked, as if to assure himself that he had indeed opened his eyes, and felt his eyelashes brush against something. And then he realised as he became aware of the tight sensation wrapped around his head, that he had been blindfolded.

Sora grunted with annoyance, biting his lip. He was scared. He had recognised the guy who had snuck up on him in the bathroom at the university. He had caught sight of him in the mirror. It had been one of the guys with the steel-capped boots from all those months ago, when on a cold snowy night in an isolated alleyway Sora had nearly been kicked to death. And that could only mean that one person was behind his predicament.

"Seifer," he croaked. His voice sounded hoarse and unused, but didn't carry any less of the venom he injected into it.

A deep laugh sounded out somewhere in front of him, and he directed his face at it with a snarl. Though he was scared, he felt brave at the same time. He wasn't going down without a fight. He knew what Seifer wanted. He wanted Roxas. And Sora wasn't going to give him that, not even if they ripped his limbs off and tore out his eyeballs.

"Rise and shine, little faggot," the familiar voice crooned, and then Sora grimaced as someone flicked his forehead, sending shockwaves of pain through his still reverberating skull. He was pretty sure that his headache was the after-effect of a large dose of chloroform.

Sora took a deep breath, keen to keep his calm.

"Where am I?" His voice was stronger this time, although it still felt and sounded like he had been eating sand.

There was hot breath on his face suddenly, and then his jaw was grasped within a stone-grinding grip. Fingers dug into his cheeks viciously. "That's information that you don't need to know."

Sora had only met Seifer once, but he was fairly sure the guy in front of him was the ex-Yakuza member. He could feel the malice rolling off the man like waves.

"Okay then," Sora replied. "What are you going to do with me then?"

For some reason, he heard the slap before he felt it. The smacking sound was ringing in his ears long before the harsh sting on his cheek flared up. His head snapped to the side and then was forcibly wrenched back to face forwards.

"You're in no position to be cocky, you disgusting little queer."

Sora winced under the grip on his face. The calloused fingers were biting into his jaw hard enough that it felt like it was going to unhinge at any moment. And he believed Seifer could do it as well. Which only made him more scared. A whimper was trying to claw its way out of his mouth, but he clamped it down for fear that it would only make his predicament worse.

Seifer seemed to approve of Sora's silence, because he loosened his grip on Sora's face and the hot breath that had been ghosting over Sora's nose and cheeks vanished. Sora swallowed thickly around bile, and licked his parched lips, waiting.

"I'm fairly sure you know why you're here, considering you realised straight away who had kidnapped you," Seifer said, his voice carrying easily over the rumbling sound of the vehicle's engine. There was a pause, which Sora took to mean that he had to agree. He inclined his head in the barest shadow of a nod, not quite courageous enough to speak again yet.

"Then I'll tell you straight up what's gonna happen," the gang leader continued. He let go of Sora's face completely, and the brunet gave a barely perceivable sigh as he rolled his jaw, feeling it crunch before settling properly in his head. "We're taking you and the other precious people of that damn band to a safe location. Safe meaning, nobody will be able to find you." Seifer laughed, cold and chilling. "Its cliché and overdone, but we're gonna use you as a lure to bring Roxas and his little friends out."

"What will you do with him?" Sora ventured, bracing himself for more pain. It didn't come. Seifer was gracious enough to answer his question.

"We'll kill him. Him and his stupid ShinRa buddies who had the nerve to chase us out of Midgar. And then," Seifer leaned in close again, breathing harshly on Sora's blindfolded face, "We'll kill you, and all the other hostages."

It was only then that Sora latched on to the fact that he wasn't the only person in trouble. He had been so concerned with Roxas that he had completely missed when Seifer had mentioned other 'precious persons'.

"Who… who else is here?" His voice was barely a whisper.

And then the blindfold was being wrenched off, and Sora was cringing away from the bright, painfully blinding halogen lights lining the van he was in. He squeezed his eyes shut and drew his knees into his chest, as if curling inwards would stop the light from reaching him. He didn't know if he was ready to add sight to his growing list of fear-inducing senses.

Curiosity is a powerful thing though, and Sora succumbed to it eventually. Seifer wasn't saying anything, not even laughing now, and so Sora assumed that he had lost interest in him for the moment. Taking his time, he cranked his eyelids open a little; wincing when light flooded his retina. The headache was back in full force now, but he fought past it desperately, frantic to see who else had fallen victim to Seifer's sick revenge.

At first, all he saw was light and dark. Blurry shapes swam in front of him, gradually sharpening into focus and he blinked and let his eyes adjust to the light. He came to realise the he was on the floor of a van, sat opposite a bench where several thuggish looking guys were reclined, sleeping or staring into space. Seifer was sat at the end of the bench, grinning psychotically at Sora. The blond gang leader nodded at the wall Sora was leaning against, indicating for Sora to look to the side.

He felt his stomach clenching in horror at what he saw. The first, and most obvious person was right next to him, her pregnant stomach swelling up under her rumpled and torn clothes. Aerith was unconscious; a blindfold over her eyes and her shoulders slumped as she slept through a chloroform induced slumber. That Seifer would have the nerve to kidnap a heavily pregnant woman was enough to make Sora sick. He glared at Seifer venomously.

"You…" he started, but the dangerous glint in Seifer's eyes was enough to keep the rest of a particularly rude insult from being spoken. With a frustrated growl, Sora leaned forward a little to look around Aerith. His stomach dropped even further at the sight of Tifa and Kairi slumped against each other, also unconscious and blindfolded. Kairi had a large bruise forming on her cheekbone and dried tear tracks running down her face, indicating that she had put up a pretty big fight.

Sora clenched his teeth and ducked his head, trying desperately hard not to throw insults at Seifer. The man was cackling softly at Sora's distress, as if the whole thing was some sort of sic dramatic comedy on TV. The man had to be out of his mind to be able to look past all the moral discrepancies in his actions and laugh at what was happening. Sora's fists clenched where they were bound behind his back and he dropped his head on his knees, his entire body shaking with fear and rage.

"Oh, looks like the faggot is angry," one of the thugs commented, and he kicked out with a steel-capped boot, catching Sora in the side. He fell on the floor of the van with a grunt of pain, glaring up at the big men who were all guffawing down at him.

"You!" he hissed at Seifer, whose gaze sharpened at the vicious tone in Sora's voice. "How sick could you be to kidnap defenceless _women_, especially one who's _pregnant_?"

Seifer eyed him with dangerous bright eyes, and then got off the bench and crouched down on the floor next to Sora's head. He grabbed a fistful of chocolate brown spikes and yanked Sora's head up so that they were nose to nose.

"Listen up, you little shit. You may think that 'cause you're Squall Leonhart's little brother that you can mouth off and talk tough. Well here's a newsflash for ya." And with sickening speed, he slammed the side of Sora's head down into the metal floor, the bang it made echoing around the entire van. The goons cackled and whooped as blood began to pool rapidly around Sora's head. Seifer lifted him up again by his hair, thick red liquid dripping onto the floor.

"Mouthin' off equals a world of hurt, got it?" the blond man hissed at Sora, whose eyes were glazed over with pain. God, if he had thought his chloroform headache before was bad, he was sadly mistaken. It was all he could do just to stay conscious.

Seifer let go of his head and it smacked wetly into the pool of his own blood. The gang leader was just straightening from his crouch when Sora's coughed violently and spoke.

"Let… the girls… go."

Seifer paused and looked down at the pathetic brunet at his feet, whose chocolate hair was rapidly turning scarlet. "Oh?" he questioned, grinning. "And what will you give us if we do?"

Sora was trembling with blood loss, but he coughed and spoke again. "Hurt me… in their place… do whatever you want. Just _let them go_."

He winced as Seifer kicked him so that he was lying on his back. The blond man stood over him, grinning down at him. "Okay," Seifer said. Sora blinked in surprise. "You can take all their beatings for them if you want." He kicked Sora again in the side, making the brunet cringe with pain.

"Doesn't mean I'm letting them go though!" Seifer laughed, and then his boot connected with Sora's head, and Sora lost his desperate hold on consciousness.

* * *

The bland white walls of Roxas's apartment complimented the deathly silence perfectly.

Roxas, Cloud and Zack sat on the large white couch in a near comatose state, staring blankly ahead with unseeing blue eyes. The television was on, but nobody heard it.

Zack was dealing with the situation the worst. Although his eyes were empty and vacant looking, his hands were shaking and clenching and his brow was contorted with a mixture of rage, fear and panic. Seeing someone as strong and determined as Zack coming undone so easily was the breaking point for everyone else.

Cloud had barely said two words about the entire ordeal. He seemed to be coping through shutting down. Though he was noticeably more calm than Zack or Roxas, you could see his spirit slipping away from him, as though losing Tifa was killing him from the inside. And he was painfully wracked with guilt, for knowing that because of his feelings for Tifa, Zack had to lose not only his fiancée but his sister as well.

Roxas was the middle ground between the two. He couldn't decide whether to collapse in tears or scream and punch something. Preferably Seifer.

Once Roxas had failed to keep Sora safe from Seifer's clutches, he had frantically called Riku, and together through their panic they had managed to arrange to meet with the others at Roxas's apartment to decide their next move. Roxas, Cloud and Zack had all arrived within ten minutes of each other, the two older boys having screeched up on their motorcycles at a frightening speed. Now they were waiting for Riku, who had apparently gone back to Kairi's quickly to let Xion know what was going on with her roommate.

The buzzer on the door went, and Roxas let Riku in. Xion, Axel, Reno and Rude all followed in after him, looking angry and determined.

"Why are you here?" Roxas asked them, and winced at how dead his voice sounded. Xion eyed him sympathetically.

"We're helping you, idiot!" she said, stomping into the big white lounge and turning the television off. This seemed to startle Cloud and Zack to a state of near awareness, because they blinked and looked around to find the members of the Nobodies stood there with determined expressions.

"Seifer has gone too far this time," Reno spat, and Rude nodded in agreement. Axel clenched his fists open and closed, looking furious.

"That measly little rat is going to pay for hurting lil' Kairi!" Xion growled. Riku looked at her with an expression that was weary and panicked, but eternally grateful at the same time. Xion continued, "And if he lays a hand on my favourite queer, he's _dead!_"

Roxas blinked in surprise, realising that she was talking about Sora. And for some reason, he couldn't keep a grin from splitting his face. Xion's energy had suddenly revitalised the entire room. Cloud looked lucid, and Zack didn't look like he was about to explode with rage anymore. Somehow, the tiny black haired girl (who was wearing an extremely revealing outfit as usual) had managed to calm everyone down and cheer them up at the same time. She seemed to realise this, because she grinned ferally.

* * *

When Sora woke up again, he was no longer in the van. Beyond the smell of his own blood, the stench of mildew reached his nose, and he could hear the faint dripping of water somewhere. The room was dark, but he could sense that it was fairly large. And it was cold, chilling him to the very core.

He was sat up against a concrete wall, his hands bound with rope to a metal hoop above his head. His legs were free, but the rope was tight enough on his hands that he couldn't get the proper leverage to stand up anyway. From what he could feel, someone had patched up the huge gash on the side of his head with some sort of gauze that stretched right up to the corner of his eye. At least they weren't intending to bleed him to death.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness (which was far more welcome than the harsh halogen lights in the van had been), Sora came to understand that he was in some sort of warehouse that looked to be abandoned. It was extremely cliché, as Seifer had said earlier, but made sense. Seifer had said after all that they were being taken somewhere that nobody would be able to find them, and what better than some abandoned warehouse outside of Midgar?

He glanced around at the dried husks of decrepit furniture that randomly littered the room, and picked out the forms of three hunched individuals against the wall to the left of him. Aerith, Kairi and Tifa were not bound to the wall, although their hands and feet were still tied. Their blindfolds had been removed, and all of them were awake and looking around in terror.

"Guys?" he croaked, wincing harshly at the scraping sound in his throat.

All three girls' heads whipped around to look at him, their eyes widening with relief.

"Sora?" Kairi asked tremulously. She sounded like she was on the verge of crying, and Sora had to admit that she was very brave not to have started already. In fact, none of the girls were crying yet, something which gave Sora hope that Seifer had kept to his word and not harmed them.

"Hey Kai," he grunted, using Kairi's nickname to try and keep her calm. He could hear that her breathing was very ragged and panicked.

"Oh thank god! We thought you were dead!" Tifa gasped with relief. "You've been unconscious for hours; we thought they had killed you!"

Amazingly, Aerith sounded extremely calm. "I told you he would be fine," she said softly.

"Aerith," Sora choked. His throat was full of what could have been bile or blood, he wasn't sure. "The baby-"

"Is fine," Aerith finished. Her bright green eyes pierced the darkness with reassurance. "They didn't harm her. I felt her kicking just ten minutes ago."

Sora sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. They haven't hurt you at all, have they?"

"No, we're all fine," Tifa chimed in, sounding surprisingly chipper. But then, Tifa was an outrageous optimist. Sora found himself grateful for it though, because it kept him from hyperventilating. "They were a bit rough getting us out of the van and up the stairs, but they didn't hit us. It looks like you got a raw deal though."

"I made Seifer promise not to hurt you," Sora said. He yanked on the rope holding his arms above his head, testing its strength. It was made of a very thick cord, and the knots looked incredibly intricate. He cursed.

"How did you get him to agree to that?" Kairi asked incredulously.

It was Aerith who answered. "He volunteered to take our beatings for us."

There was a harsh silence. Sora chuckled awkwardly. "You heard that, huh?"

"No, but it was easy enough to guess why you were bleeding to death and we hardly had a scratch on us."

"WHAT?" Kairi exploded, and Sora winced as her voice reverberated angrily around the room. "You did WHAT, Sora?"

"Are you stupid?" Tifa shouted. "You almost died of blood loss, you idiot!"

"I know!" Sora shouted back, and the tone in his voice made them fall silent. "I know," he said again, more softly. "I just didn't want you guys to get hurt… especially Aerith… I don't know if Zack would be able to cope if you lost the baby."

"The baby is fine," Aerith repeated reassuringly. "Megumi is a fighter, like her mom and dad. She's not going to go down easily."

"Even so, I'd rather none of you got hurt," Sora said stubbornly. Tifa sighed explosively.

"Boys! Why do you all have to be so damn chivalrous?"

"That's just Sora for you, always taking everyone's burdens onto his shoulders," Kairi groaned. Sora grinned weakly through the throbbing pain in his skull.

"What can I say, I look out for the ladies."

"Very funny," Tifa muttered.

"So I am assuming you have already talked to Seifer a little bit, seeing as you made this disagreeable bargain with him?" Aerith questioned.

"Yeah, I woke up when were still in the van and he explained what he wanted us for."

"Well that much is obvious!" Tifa replied, "He wants to get to the boys! He's looking for revenge after getting kicked out of Midgar by Roxas and the ShinRa lot."

"We're bait, aren't we?" Kairi asked tremulously.

"Damsels in distress, as it were," Aerith added.

"Hey, I resent being referred to as a damsel."

"Shut up Sora, and tell us what else he said."

"Well I would if you would let me speak!" Sora grumbled. They were silent, and he scowled. "He wants to lure out the boys so that he can exact revenge on them."

"And what do you mean by revenge?" Tifa asked. It sounded like she was struggling with the rope tying her hands behind her back.

"Meaning, he's going to try and k… He wants to…" Sora couldn't say it. Not in front of Kairi. He couldn't say the word "kill".

"We get it, Sora," Aerith said gently. "And I am assuming that if he succeeds, we'll face the same fate?"

"Y-yeah," he muttered, staring down into his lap. He had never felt so powerless in his life. A shiver of cold crept over his bare arms, which he clenched futilely against the ropes binding him in place.

They were silent then, for quite a while, just mulling in their own thoughts. Wondering if they would live to see their loved ones again. Contemplating on whether they were ready for death. Sora certainly wasn't. He had a thousand things to do before he could even think about kicking the dust. He had to prove to his father that he wasn't taking some worthless degree and that he could be happy dating a boy. He wanted to celebrate an anniversary with Roxas, and many more after that. He wanted to watch Squall and Rinoa walk down the aisle. He wanted to see Roxas get the record deal he had always strained for, had nearly ruined his relationship with his family for, and he wanted to make his name in the manga industry.

Sora absolutely could not die yet. And he wasn't going to go down with a fucking good fight.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Xion said after they had explained the situation to her for what felt like the fiftieth time, "Roxas and this Seifer dude used to be homebodies in the Yakuza?" Roxas flinched at the mention of his less than clean past, but nodded. Xion continued, "And when Roxas took his head out of his ass and decided to go straight, Seifer went crazy and ShinRa chased him out of town?"

"Pretty much," Zack said. He was a lot more calm and collected than before, and was sat on the sofa with a serious look of concentration on his face.

"And now he's back, wants revenge on Roxas for 'betraying' him," Xion made inverted commas with her fingers, "And has taken the girls to lure ya'll out and kill you?"

"I don't think Sora would take to kindly to being referred to as a girl, but that's the general gist of it," Roxas said. Xion grinned wickedly.

"So we need a plan, right? Because we can't just let Seifer do everything his way! We've gotta teach that little bitch a lesson!"

"More like put him six feet under," Reno muttered darkly from the corner where he was swigging from a bottle of beer. Rude grunted in assent and Axel snarled his agreement. The three boys from Xion's band were particularly riled up for some reason, and all of them looked ready to draw blood.

"And what plan is this, exactly?" Cloud asked coolly. His usually quiet and subdued demeanour was gone, as was his zombie-like state from earlier, revealing the wolfish aggression he shared with Zack but very rarely showed.

"Well, first of all, we have to assume that they're no longer in Midgar," Xion said, hooking her index fingers together and pulling, a sign of nervous tension. Her knees were bouncing, making her short skirt bounce. "They're gonna want to lure you out for a fight, and they'll want to do it somewhere where they won't have to worry about police.

"Secondly, assuming the first point is true, they will have to have a safe house somewhere outside of Midgar, probably in the far outskirts in the desert area. This'll be where they've taken the girls… and guy." Roxas snorted before he could stop himself.

"So, if we take the first two points to be fact, and then factor in that we've practically got access to ShinRa satellites, we can probably pinpoint where they are without having to wait for a call telling us where to meet them," Xion finished smartly. Everyone stared at her incredulously.

"I didn't realise you had so much brain behind all that make up," Reno said, sounding a bit stunned. Xion beamed proudly.

"So, if we know where they're keeping the hostages…" Riku started thoughtfully.

"We can storm the building and ambush _them_ before they get a chance to call us out for a fight!" Zack finished, smacking his fist down on the coffee table in triumph. Roxas and Cloud jumped, but both looked riled and ready for action. In fact, the entire room was now buzzing with anticipation.

"Xion, I fucking love you," Axel laughed. Xion just grinned in a slightly manic way.

Zack stood up with a flourish, knocking over the vase of flowers on the coffee table. "Then it's settled! We should get to ShinRa headquarters right away and start locating that safe house!"

Riku nodded. "Zack, Cloud, Reno and Rude, you guys head down to ShinRa now and access the satellites. I'll go and see my boss, Professor Ansem, and see if he can access any CCTV footage and find the registration of the van Roxas described. Roxas, Axel and Xion, you're in charge of weapons."

"Why me?" Roxas asked.

"Because you used to be part of the Yakuza," Axel answered for Riku. "You're bound to know who to contact to get some guns."

"Why do we _need _guns?" Xion asked, sounding a bit hesitant.

"Fight fire with fire," Reno said, pulling on his blazer as the ShinRa team got ready to leave. "Seifer is bound to have a lot of firepower, and there is only so much we can snag from ShinRa."

"Besides, Seifer's had it coming for a long time," Zack spat out as he shrugged on his leather riding jacket.

Riku and the ShinRa team departed swiftly, leaving Xion, Axel and Roxas in the apartment.

"Who are we gonna call then, Roxas?" Axel asked, bouncing on his toes with energised excitement.

Roxas stared around the apartment helplessly. He had cut all ties with his Yakuza contacts when he had left the gang. "I don't know…" he said powerlessly.

"There must be _someone_ you can call," Xion urged. "_Anyone!_"

"I…" Roxas stuttered, still looking around the apartment in hopes of seeing something that would help him in his predicament. His eyes fell on a photograph Sora had put up on the wall near the French windows. It was of Sora, Roxas, Squall and Rinoa outside Sora's parents' house.

Roxas felt his lips curling into a grimacing smirk. "Actually, I think I know just the person."

* * *

_Oh the excitement! Three guesses for who Roxas is going to call. It's not that hard. Someone else's dirty past is finally gonna get fully revealed! :O_  
_If you aren't totally mad at me for neglecting this story, please leave a review. Otherwise, continue to pelt me with cabbages. _


	23. Something

_No excuses for inactivity._

_I know it's short. It's supposed to be like an inbetweeny kind of chapter... plus I'm ultra busy. I'm going to Tokyo on Friday and I came back from Germany on Sunday so the past week has been a whirlwind of unpacking and repacking and money issues and whatnot. Plus I have been inundated with relatives because I'll be turning 21 whilst in Tokyo and they all want to give me my presents and stuff before I go :/_

_Song is "Something" by Escape the Fate._

_We get to find out about Squall this chapter, as you all pretty much guessed who Roxas was gonna call :P_

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Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty Three

Something

Roxas had left Xion and Axel in the lounge and gone into his bedroom. He sat down gently on the blood red bedspread, his cell phone in his hands, scrolling slowly through his address book for the number he was looking for. He pressed the green button and raised the device to his ear, staring around the room with a surprisingly calm mind, though his heart had become a jackhammer in his chest and his fingers felt like they were going to explode at the rate his blood was being pumped through them.

Squall answered on the first ring.

* * *

As usual, he sounded annoyed. By this point, Roxas was quite accustomed to that and it didn't even phase him.

As if he had a sixth sense that pertained purely to the safety of his little brother, the first thing that Squall said was "What's wrong with Sora?"

Roxas didn't notice this, but his long pale fingers had fisted into the scarlet sheets, looking like he was clutching at an expanse of silky blood. His mind became less calm.

"Seifer got him." There was no need to explain how bad this was. If Roxas was right about his suspicions, Squall would know _exactly_ how bad this was.

True to his expectations, Squall swore. "Shit. I knew I'd seen you before. You were his little junkie friend, weren't you?"

"Don't call me a junkie!" Roxas hissed into the mouthpiece, all calm in his mind now soaked in the red hot rage that had been building in his gut. "You know as well as I do that I've been clean for years. You were the one who fucking pushed the drugs, after all."

There was silence. Not a stunned one, Squall was too sharp for that. It was more like Squall had nothing to say to that particular comment, and not even because he had no defence, but because he didn't particularly care.

After a long pause, Squall spoke. "I trust you're already looking?"

Roxas scoffed. "Of course. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Squall ignored this last comment. "I'm coming now; I'm in Midgar at the moment. Give me your address."

Roxas rattled it off. "When will you be here?"

"Two hours. One if I drive fast."

"Bring weapons. I know you have them. We need as many as we can get, there's only so many that ShinRa can supply for us."

That caught Squall's attention. "ShinRa's involved?" His voice was sharp enough to make Roxas scrunch up his face, as though he had swallowed a particularly ripe lemon.

"Well, yeah. They drove Seifer out last time, remember? My brother works for them and so does Zack."

Squall made a noise of irritated thoughtfulness. "I don't trust ShinRa," he said bluntly, "and I don't want them butting in on my business."

"This isn't just Sora's safety we're talking about!" Roxas had stood up and was pacing frantically around his white room. "Seifer's taken three of our friends, all of which are _female_, one of which is heavily _pregnant_. As in, due in five weeks. Whether you like it or not, ShinRa _is_ involved and they're gonna help us get back our loved ones!"

"God, do you _ever_ stop whining?" Squall snapped, and Roxas bared his teeth even though he knew the older man couldn't see it. "Shut the fuck up, calm down and go make sure your little ShinRa buddies find wherever Sora's been taken by the time I get there."

There was a click. Roxas pulled the phone away from his ear with and snarled at it before slamming it down on the bed. "I _don't_ whine!" he screamed into the empty room.

"Yes you do!" Xion yelled from the lounge.

* * *

Squall was pounding on his door ninety minutes later.

Roxas let him in and offered him tea, eyeing the huge black bags the man was carrying under his arms and over his back. Rinoa followed in, offering Roxas a small smile as way of consolation for Squall's stroppy attitude.

Roxas had just been about to put the kettle on for his grumpy guest when Cloud, Zack, Reno and Rude all returned. Zack had a fire in his eyes that made Roxas want to reach for the nearest extinguisher, though he didn't know whether he'd need water or carbon dioxide to put out a Zack-induced inferno. Probably both plus some sort of super power, he thought as he ended up making tea for nine people.

Reno and Rude produced a map with a red circle on a desolate looking part of the deserts surrounding Midgar. They had scoured through satellite images and used their Turk sources to trace Seifer's hideout to within a hundred square metres, which Squall seemed sort of satisfied with. Zack happily announced that he had a unit of twenty ShinRa troops as well as four captains waiting for his instructions.

Squall opened up his black bags, and the chatter died instantly.

"Whoa," Reno muttered, staring as Squall produced several high-calibre rifles, "Where the fuck do you live, yo, an armoury?"

Squall just looked at him, and rubbed at the scar on his face. Roxas noticed this, and he was fairly sure that Cloud, Zack and Reno had noticed too.

"So who are you?" Zack demanded, eyeing the semi-automatic pistols that came out next.

"Squall is Sora's older brother," Rinoa explained. "He also has... connections to Seifer which could be of use to you."

"What kind of connections?" Reno stipulated, one eyebrow raised. He crouched down next to the weapons and began to pick through them, his eyes getting wider and wider as Squall continued to produce not just guns but knives, swords and explosives.

"He used to push drugs for the Yakuza," Roxas elaborated with blunt tones, watching Zack and Cloud and hoping to high heaven that they wouldn't kill Squall. He could live with them maiming him a little, but he didn't think Sora would be too pleased if Squall got ripped in two. Plus, he kind of liked Rinoa and didn't want to upset her by being the cause of his brother and Zack tearing her boyfriend into a million pieces.

Predictably, Cloud and Zack stiffened.

"So you're saying that I'm looking at the guy who turned you into a raving lunatic junkie?" Cloud asked, his voice extremely low and quiet but perfectly audible in the deathly silent room.

"Pretty much," Roxas shrugged.

"Hey, I didn't force you to buy 'em," Squall shrugged. "If you wanna lay the blame anywhere, blame yourself for being so weak that you couldn't survive without popping the fucking needle."

Zack stood up and before anyone could move, the cool head of a pistol was kissing Squall's forehead. Blink a second time, and there was a long dagger held to Zack's stomach.

"You sold him the stuff?" Zack spat, his trigger finger twitching as if itching to squeeze and blow Squall's brains out. "You turned Roxas into that drooling, pathetic little addict I had to rescue from a hospital after he nearly _died?_"

"Like I said, I only sold him the stuff. What he did with it was his own fault."

"HE WAS SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD FOR FUCKS SAKE! THE SAME AGE AS YOUR _BROTHER_ WAS!"

In a flash, Squall had knocked the pistol away and was on his feet, his knife at Zack's throat. "You leave my brother out of this," he snarled, his eyes narrowed and one hand fisted in the black haired man's shirt.

Roxas swallowed. "Tea's ready?"

* * *

Time seemed to become a lost concept within the dark room of that abandoned warehouse. Sora had no idea how long he sat there, propped up against the wall and barely clinging onto life and sanity. He measured it at first in times of waking, but eventually had to stop when he began to slip in and out of consciousness with the rapidity of someone blinking. There was only one window in the massive room, right at the other end, but there must have been another building directly adjacent to theirs because it never seemed to let in any light.

He was growing weaker with every moment, and he knew it. They had only given him a few slurps of water and no food, although the girls got a little better treatment. They at least were regularly given water (partly because Kairi complained so much). But Sora was fairly sure that if this kept up for much longer, he would be dead from thirst or starvation before Roxas could even attempt to save him.

Not to mention that Seifer was well and truly keeping to his word and only hurting Sora. The girls remained unharmed, at least physically, but they had to go through the harrowing process every couple of hours of watching Seifer's men taking out their frustrations on the weakening brunet. Sora ached everywhere, especially his gut, and had been winded more times in the last week than he could remember being in his entire life.

Somehow though, he knew it could be much worse. After all, look what they had done to Roxas in that parking lot. Sora was more than aware that he could be sexually abused and raped if Seifer so desired, but for now it seemed like the dirty blond maniac hadn't stepped quite that low. Sora was grateful. Not that he didn't love taking it up the ass every now and then, but that was a privilege purely reserved for Roxas, and he was fairly sure that Seifer's men wouldn't be so kind as to use saliva or lube before they had at him.

Tifa had estimated their imprisonment to have lasted two days at most. Aerith was leaning more towards a four and Kairi had as much concept of time as an amoeba so she didn't even attempt to guess. Sora frankly didn't care, nor did he really have the capacity to. Thinking was difficult in his state. When he was awake, his head lolled forwards and he often found himself staring into his lap, tracing lines of blood on his jeans and wondering if he would ever get the chance to worry about getting the stains out.

Even thinking about Roxas was getting difficult. With every hour that passed, Sora was sure that Roxas's face became a little more blurred in his imagination, or more shadowed as though Roxas was walking away deep into the recesses of Sora's mind. More than once, he had caught himself crying silent hot tears that riveted down his nose and then plopped onto the bloodstains of his pants. He was thankful then that his hair hid the tears from his friends, though he was more than certain that Aerith knew everything, knew every thought that passed through his struggling brain.

On what Tifa insisted was the third day but could have been more according to Aerith, Seifer's men came into the room as usual, just when the grey light spilling through the window began to fade to the colour of unwashed sport socks. A few were carrying food and water, which they gave to the girls, and someone grabbed Sora's jaw and yanked his head back. They pried his mouth open, not needing to use much force because by now Sora was so exhausted he was having trouble just keeping his eyes open. The cobalt depths had dulled and stared half-mast up at the dark, muscled guy he was fairly certain was called Rai.

"Damn, he looks dead," someone behind Rai commented. "Better give him some water, Seifer'll kill us if he dies before the ransom is arranged."

"I was already doing it!" Rai snapped, stupid as a snail as per usual, and then he produced a litre bottle of water and sloshed some of the contents into Sora's parched mouth.

Sora began to choke immediately but the dried insides of his mouth and throat soaked up the moisture like a sponge, and his stomach jerked wildly as a few trickles of water made its way down his oesophagus. Rai poured some more water into his mouth, still messy enough that the front of Sora's shirt got soaked, but this time Sora managed to swallow a bit more. He gasped raggedly between gulps as Rai steadily fed him half the bottle before the man screwed the lid back on and set it down next to Sora.

"Still looks dead," he mused, more to himself than to his thuggish companions. A girl who had been passing out clumsily made sandwiches to the females turned around, her eyes sharp. Sora thought her name might be Fuu, which was a damn stupid name when he thought about it.

"He's not," she said simply, before turning and practically stuffing the turkey sandwich she was holding down Kairi's throat, and then she stood up and brushed off her pants.

Rai leaned down and checked the ropes holding Sora's arms above his head. Sora wished he would undo them, just for a moment. His triceps were screaming with pain and his shoulders needed a good crack from being held in the same position for days. But Rai simply wiggled the knots, and when he was satisfied that they were still holding fast, he grinned and slapped Sora across his already black and blue face.

"Good little faggot," he commented as if he was talking to a dog which hadn't tried to paw off its muzzle. He straightened up and moved to the back of the room to talk with some of the other thugs, whilst more came forwards to give Sora his daily kicking. They must have been more frustrated than usual, or maybe they thought that because he had been given water he could withstand more of a beating today, because they carried on for longer and kicked a lot harder than usual. Sora didn't know when they stopped, because he lost consciousness halfway through, but when he woke up they were gone and it felt like his elbow was broken.

And as usual, Kairi was crying. Sora clenched his fists and teeth, his eyes closed but images of Seifer with a bullet through his brain emblazoned on the backs of his eyelids. If he _ever_ got out of this, he would make sure that Seifer got what was coming to him for making Kairi cry. He would make sure that he would give Kairi no reason to ever shed tears again.

But he wondered if he would ever get the chance to make good on these promises.

* * *

_Yeah, it's lame and short. Sorrrryyyyyy. Have some cabbages._


	24. Same Thing We Do Every Day Pinky

_I know, I know, I made you all wait an outrageously long amount of time and it's not even that long a chapter. And I'm sorry. But try to understand that my life is so so busy right now. Like, I just moved to Spain for Christ's sake. It's so hectic. But I already have half of the next chapter written (omg there's only two and the epilogue left now D8), so expect an update on this soon._

_The song for this chapter is "Same Thing We Do Every Day Pinky" by Broadway. Don't be fooled by the title, it's an epic song. Oh, and thank you all for the song suggestions you have sent me over the past year! I really appreciated it, even though I already had the whole playlist lined up ._

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* * *

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty-Four

Same Thing We Do Every Day Pinky

Roxas shifted awkwardly, his boot toes making a carving grind in the dirt. He felt Zack's furtive electric eyes on him and stilled himself despite the ache that was beginning to creep up his calves. He crouched low behind the wreck of the army lorry that lay like a felled elephant in the front yard of the warehouse, waiting for his brother to return and give them the O.K. to move forward.

Zack was being remarkably still. Normally the man could not stop fidgeting. It was as if all the nervous energy he usually kept stored in his joints like rocket fuel has been sapped by the gun he had strapped to his back and the short tanto sword sheathed in his boot. He was a shadow of black in the shade provided by the dead vehicle, his glowing eyes the only revelation to Roxas that he was there.

Those eyes were the only source of energy in Zack's immobile body. They glowed with killing intent.

They had found the warehouse with the help of ShinRa's technology within six hours of realising that their friends had been kidnapped, but rather than descending on it without a plan, they elected to wait a few days to see if Seifer would make a move, and to come up with a strategy.

Roxas had protested so hard to this idea that he had given himself hysterics, but he had to admit he was glad they had done it now. The layout to the building was much more complicated than it looked on first glance, and Seifer's men were crawling all over the grounds.

Approximately one and a half days after Sora's kidnap, Seifer had called Roxas on his cell phone and presented his ransom terms.

"Stay calm," Zack had breathed as Roxas picked up the phone, and Seifer's drawling greeting bled out of the speaker. The blond took a few deep, steadying breaths and relaxed his grip on the mobile phone, though it took a lot of willpower.

"Hey Roxie," Seifer chuckled, sounding as though he was calling Roxas to invite him to the movies like old friends. "I've got something of yours." No preamble then. Thank god, Seifer could be notorious for teasing people until their brains were melting with frustration.

"Yes. I'd like it back please." Roxas wanted to keep his voice completely steady, but it quavered ever so slightly with unexpected tears on the last word. And of course, Seifer noticed this. The man laughed coldly, obviously enjoying how stressed he had made Roxas.

"Come now Roxie, don't cry! I promise I'll release your little boyfriend, and all the girlies too. But it comes at a price, my good man. Can you think what that is?"

Roxas didn't even need to think. He wetted his lips and replied as dryly as possible, "Me?"

"_Correctamundo_ Roxas!"

Roxas kept himself from pointing out that "correctamundo" wasn't a real word.

"So, here's what we're gonna do," Seifer said, his voice less playful and much more businesslike. "We'll call you on Friday, that's two days from now, and give you a location. You, and _you alone_ turn up at this location with transport for the girlies and the fag a mile away from you. We send them running off in the general direction of said transport, and I shoot you in the head. How's that sound?"

Roxas heard the casing of his cell creak as his fingers dug into the seams at the side. "Sounds like a blast," he muttered.

Apparently this was amusing, because Seifer laughed loudly at this. "Oh it will be, Roxie. For you anyway. A _real_ blast." He dragged out 'real' in a fake mafia accent that made Roxas wish he could send a well-aimed punch to Seifer's nose down the phone.

The day after they had received this phone call, Roxas's team had made their move.

Now, Roxas, Zack and Cloud had gone directly into the grounds and were about to attempt to sneak into the warehouse. Axel and Xion had been positioned on top of a similar building a mile or so away, with some _very_ illegal sniper guns that Squall had shown them how to use in under six hours. Xion had turned out to be a cracking shot, and Axel wasn't half bad either.

Reno and Rude were waiting in a chopper three klicks away, ready to come in with heavy artillery if it came to that. Squall and Rinoa had stayed at Roxas's apartment in case it was invaded by an ambush team.

Cloud suddenly dropped down between Zack and Roxas, though neither jumped. The older blond had climbed on top of the army truck to scout out the area.

"All clear, head for the entrance," Cloud whispered, and without so much as an acknowledging nod Roxas ran forwards across the dusty courtyard, keeping low and clutching at the pistol Squall had strapped to his side. Cloud and Zack backed him up, not even stirring the dust with their boots.

They reached the door of the warehouse and quickly flanked either side of it, pressing themselves to the wall and sinking into the shadows. They could hear the breathing of someone just inside the door. With a nod, Zack slipped his tanto from his boot, slid into the doorway, and there was a soft thud as he took out the guard and dropped him gently on the ground.

Roxas's ears were ringing with the deathly silence that accompanied them as they climbed the stairwell immediately inside the doorway. Not once did they make a sound on the metal steps, their feet were wisps of smoke and their respiration was slow and silent. The only noise he could really hear was the insane thud of blood in his ears to accompany the red curtain of rage slowly descending over his vision.

They reached the first floor where another guard was picking his nose and playing Sudoku on his phone. Cloud was behind him like a Reaper, getting him quickly in a choke hold that silenced the man before he'd even had a chance to register the attack. Roxas kept his eyes averted from the inhuman bombardier's eyes inhabiting his brother's face. They were the eyes of a cold killer in that instant.

What terrified Roxas the most was that he could feel that same coldness trickling into his system as though the stuff could be bottled up, and he'd just had a booster vaccination of it right at the base of his skull.

Cloud lay the guard down to the side, in the shadows. There wasn't much attempt at concealment, for soon enough the inhabitants of the warehouse would know fully well of their intruders, but at least it would buy them some time if another guard turned up unexpectedly. It wouldn't do for the alarm to be raised before they were ready.

The small three-man team, who usually considered each other brothers (or close to it) but now were only thinking of each other as comrades, moved into the main area of the first floor in single file. As expected, the room was empty. They had predicted that the hostages were being kept in a safe room, probably on the top floor, but their plan necessitated that they visit other floors along the way.

At this point, Zack crouched on one knee and slipped his backpack to the floor. With a wry twisted smile that no longer affected Roxas as much as it should have, Zack pulled out eight small boxes of C4 explosive.

They covered the weak points of the room quickly, placing the C4 in places that would feel the force of the explosions more. If they were going to blow the place up, it had to be done properly to prevent any of Seifer's men escaping. It was ruthless, and though Roxas had often thought throughout the course of their plannings that two wrongs don't make a right, it seemed the only option to keep everyone safe from that sicko once the rescue mission was carried out.

Roxas didn't like it. He was setting up the death of someone who had once been a very close friend. But he had no choice.

Seifer took Sora. And for that, Roxas would never forgive him.

* * *

"God, I've missed so many episodes of Friends this week! I'm going to be SO behind when I finally get out of this dump!"

Aerith looked at Kairi witheringly. "Kairi, you have every season of Friends on DVD. How could you possibly be behind when you've seen every episode at least a thousand times?"

"I second that," Sora mumbled from where his head was lolling on to his chest.

Kairi shook her hands as best she could when they were restrained to her sides. "You don't understand! I need to watch them as they are aired! It's my compulsion!"

"More like obsession," Tifa muttered. Sora laughed hoarsely.

Seifer threw a full water bottle across the room and Sora flinched when it landed dangerously close to his head.

"Shaddup," Seifer growled.

They lapsed into silence, none of the girls willing to risk Sora taking yet _another_ beating for them. It really was turning out to be one of his more stupid ideas. Not an inch of Sora's skin was left unblemished, and it was particularly harrowing that they could clearly make out the imprints of boot soles in the bruised plethora of patterns on his arms.

Sora, being the ever optimistic one, was taking it without much complaint. Which made it all the worse for the girls to bear. Even Aerith was having trouble holding back tears every time she looked at him now, and she had always been the strongest person any of them had ever known. Even with potentially terminal threat to the kindling of life inside her, Aerith didn't back down. But the toll it was taking on one of her most loved persons was killing the fight in her too.

Sora had never been in so much pain in his life. It was taking every fibre of his mind power not to break down and ask Seifer to just blow his brains out. In fact, the only thing that was stopping him was the fact that Roxas would follow him into the afterlife and kick his ass for it. Probably Kairi as well for that matter.

He was fairly positive that most of his ribs were broken. The same went for his fingers, kneecaps and toes. Judging from the way he couldn't breathe properly through his nose, that was probably broken too. Great. If he had thought he had taken a beating the last time he had encountered Seifer in that snow covered alleyway, he had been high on pixie dust or something.

He watched the feet of Seifer and the few lackeys he had in the room with him as they moved around, puffing up dust as they went. Seifer didn't seem to have done much for the past few days except sit by the window, staring out into the bleak wastelands that framed Midgar. But now there was more movement, more energy, as if he was gearing up to something.

It didn't bode well, whatever it was.

* * *

Cloud had just finished fixating the last of his C4 to the wall of the third floor when Riku climbed through the window, taking Roxas by surprise. Luckily, Zack was close enough to the short blond to clamp his hand down over Roxas' mouth before he yelled.

"Foundations and outer walls are all done," Riku said, wiping at some dirt on his face and only succeeding in smudging it. "Reno and Rude have been bitching at me on the radio about how they wanna kick some ass, it's really starting piss me off."

"You'll just have to put up with it for ten more minutes. They'll get their chance," Zack said darkly, releasing Roxas' mouth.

"C'mon, we've still got two floors to rig," Cloud murmured. They moved towards the stairwell in a practised diamond formation, Zack forming the point, the Strife brothers at the sides, and Riku bringing up the rear.

"This is all so... gangster," Riku said, and Roxas stared over his shoulder incredulously when the older man began to giggle.

"Shut up," Cloud muttered, rolling his eyes. He pushed Roxas up the stairs after Zack and then backhanded Riku over the head.

They covered the last two floors swiftly enough, running into a few more guards who were taken care of without much issue, although Roxas was starting to feel sick to his stomach every time he watched his best friends taking out Seifer's minions.

_It's because of me that this is happening._

He didn't consciously think it, but the thought remained there all the same. And the guilt was there, weighing his shoes down and making his eyelids heavy with thought. It seeped into his every movement, like mustard gas.

If he hadn't run away from home... If he hadn't been so stupid as to make friends with Seifer... If he had settled it with Seifer in that alleyway that night rather than letting himself be beaten like a bitch... So many possibilities, so many different outcomes that could never happen.

But he only had the present to work with. And that was why the only things running through his veins right now aside from blood and oxygen, were guilt and cold killing intent.

The boy that ascended the final set of stairs that day was not the sad, lonely, beautiful singer that had enchanted Sora Leonhart all those months ago, on that cold winter night. Gone was the vacant, wistful emptiness in his bright blue eyes. The boy who stepped onto the top landing, unholstering his gun with a silent snarl, was a completely different person. Filled with purpose, and filled with love, even if it had been suppressed for the sake of the situation.

He was a boy in love, and by Christ was he going to get his lover back.

Roxas nodded at Zack, who was stood in front of the unguarded door. As Zack turned in preparation for the kick he was about to administer to the final barrier between them and their precious persons, Roxas thumbed back the hammer of his gun.

* * *

"It was the Brad Pitt episode this week as well," Kairi sniffed when she was sure Seifer wasn't listening.

Tifa groaned and smacked her head against the wall behind her. "For god's sake Kairi, it's only a TV show!"

Kairi looked positively mortified. "_Only a TV show?_ Tifa Lockhart, what kind of girl-"

**CRASH!**

Seifer and his men were on their feet before any of the hostages had had a chance to even jump at the almighty smashing noise that reached their ears. Sora's normally lolling head shot up just in time to see dust and dirt clouds puffing up in the general area that the door had once been, and then four figures emerged, throwing themselves at Seifer and his gang in flying tackles that took them all to the floor.

"Zack!" Aerith gasped, her jade eyes wide with amazement as her fiancée bodily threw himself at the biggest guy –Rai- and the two men crashed to the ground. The hostages stared in amazement as their rescuers began to lay into their captors with everything they had and – were those _weapons_ they were all holding?

Sora could only watch, caught between joy and horror as Roxas immediately zeroed in on Seifer, raising a large pistol he held and bringing it crashing down into Seifer's forehead. Seifer was floored instantly, but he was back on his feet quickly. As Riku, Cloud and Zack took care of the bigger lackeys, Roxas and Seifer began a fight that looked more like two lions fighting for alpha male than two brawling human beings. The look on Roxas' face was positively feral, and Seifer was snarling with a mixture of anger and sadistic anticipation.

There was a howl resembling that of a wounded buffalo as Zack drew out his knife and drove it into Rai's meaty side before throwing a well-aimed punch to the man's face. Cloud had backed his opponent up against a wall and had a hold on the guy's hair as he slammed the man's head mercilessly into the brick over and over again. Riku was pinned but holding his own – his opponent was sporting a broken nose and seemed to be having issues seeing beyond all the blood spurting out of his face.

Roxas and Seifer collided and Roxas' pistol scattered away across the floor. Sora's heart was in his mouth as Seifer slammed Roxas to the ground, making to punch Roxas in the face. Roxas rolled at the last second and Seifer's fist met the floor with a crack, and then Roxas performed a sweeping kick that knocked Seifer off balance.

Everyone jumped, regardless of what they were doing, when the report of a gunshot shook through the room. Cloud's opponent had managed to get a finger around the trigger of his handgun, and the bullet had caught Cloud in the thigh. He wrestled the gun out of the man's grasp, his face a picture of willpower as he fought the pain. He threw the gun behind him, and then Tifa gasped in horrified shock as Cloud's elbow met with the other man's face, knocking him out cold.

The gunshot had startled the other brawlers but they hadn't stopped by any means. Zack still had the upper hand against Rai, but Riku was taking a beating from the beefy opponent he had picked, who was sat on him and punching him repeatedly in the face.

Seifer and Roxas noticed none of this as they covered the entire room in their fight, like a dancer uses the whole stage. Sora couldn't bring himself to look at Roxas' face as he watched the fight unfold – he had never seen Roxas so cold and angry before, and it was terrifying.

Riku suddenly gave an inhuman snarl and headbutted his attacker, throwing the man off him and immediately hauling himself into another tackle. In a quick turn of events, he had the man in a headlock and unconscious within thirty seconds.

Rai and Zack were still fighting, and though Rai was heavily wounded he had a lot of stamina. It was clear that Zack was able to hold his own, but he was having issues overpowering the big brute.

Roxas suddenly barrelled into Seifer, both blonds slamming into the floor a couple of metres away from Sora who was still watching with horror. Roxas pinned Seifer's arms with his knees and with an almost inhuman laugh, pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it to Seifer's throat just as Zack delivered an elbow to the back of Rai's neck, knocking him out cold.

It suddenly became eerily silent as Roxas and Seifer stared at each other, panting harshly. Cloud, Zack and Riku had either collapsed or were leaning against things for support, watching to see what Roxas' next move would be.

Sora could see every change in expression on the two men's faces before him as Roxas kept the knife flush against the tender skin of Seifer's throat. The way they glared at each other, you would never have thought that they had once been best friends, inseparable.

"What are you waiting for?" Seifer spat, his fists clenching uselessly either side of Roxas' knees. "Do it, you fucking coward."

Roxas bared his teeth, but the coldness was draining out of his eyes now. "I'm _not_ a coward," he snarled, regardless, "I'm just not a heartless killer like _you_."

Seifer laughed as if this was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Takes one to know one."

"I'm warning you!" Roxas yelled, his blond spikes falling into his face as he pressed the knife hard enough for blood to bead around the blade. Seifer's laugh cut off in a choke and his eyes screwed up, half in pain and half expecting Roxas to actually go through with it and kill with him.

Sora truly believed that Roxas could have done it as well. However, at that moment, Axel and Xion chose to barge their way into the room, Axel carrying a bazooka of all things.

_Things just keep getting weirder in my life..._

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?" Xion screamed, looking every inch the bloodthirsty Amazon warrior. All she needed now was to give herself a mastectomy and she's have the look down. "WHERE IS THE BASTARD WHO TOOK _MY_ FAGGOT?"

It took Sora a moment to realise that she was referring to him, and by that point Xion had glomped him.

"Xion! Hurts!" he managed to grunt out before she got too attached. Seifer was staring at the scene from his position on the floor with a mixture of incredulity and bemusement.

"Oh my god, Sora, you're _covered_ in bruises!" Xion screamed, and that was when the bloodlust lifted itself from Roxas' vision and he saw his love properly for the first time. The sight made him want to crumble in guilt-fuelled ashes. The boy tied to the wall was barely recognisable as Sora beyond the bruises, cuts and swellings adorning every visible inch of skin.

"S-Sora?" he gasped, forgetting Seifer for the moment but remaining sat on the man. Sora looked up with frightened eyes, but the fear cleared as soon as he saw that Roxas was back to his normal self. Sora's eyes swam with tears and a small smile quirked his lips.

"Took you long enough."

"I wanted to come earlier, but we had to wait," Roxas replied, his shoulders heaving as he struggled to regulate his breathing. Xion had disentangled herself from Sora and was helping the other boys untie Aerith, Tifa and Kairi.

"The baby?" Zack murmured as he threw his arms around Aerith.

"Fine," she whispered, letting him drown her in kisses.

Kairi burst into tears as Riku embraced her, and she buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing hysterically. "Shh, it's fine," he soothed, stroking her dirty hair, "We're here now."

Even Tifa and Cloud had overcome their embarrassment enough to hug each other as hard as they could. Cloud's fingers were in her hair as he nuzzled the side of her face, all traces of the ice-cold killer he had been minutes ago now gone as he let his love for Tifa wash over him.

Roxas turned back to Sora with a smile. "I missed you."

Sora's eyes widened in horror, and that was the only warning Roxas had before he was wrestling the barrel of a gun away from his temple. Seifer had taken the opportunity whilst everyone was distracted to worm an arm free from Roxas' weight and to pull his own pistol from its holster in his belt.

"See you in hell, Roxie," he spat, and pulled the trigger.


	25. The World Calling

_Fast update by popular demand. It broke my heart to write this chapter. Please don't kill me if it breaks yours too._

_The song is "The World Calling" by There for Tomorrow._**  


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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Twenty Five

The World Calling

_Sora's eyes widened in horror, and that was the only warning Roxas had before he was wrestling the barrel of a gun away from his temple. Seifer had taken the opportunity whilst everyone was distracted to worm an arm free from Roxas' weight and to pull his own pistol from its holster in his belt._

"_See you in hell, Roxie," he spat, and pulled the trigger._

* * *

Roxas stared at the muzzle of the gun, which was smoking inches from his face. He had managed to wrestle the gun to point in a different direction just in time to avoid his face being blown off.

He heard a gurgled moan to his right. He turned his head and watched in horror as Xion sank to the floor, a crimson flower blossoming in the centre of her chest and a trickle of blood running out of the corner of her mouth and down her chin.

She looked at him in shock, her eyes wide. The world slowing, she fell forwards clutching at her chest.

What happened next was mayhem.

"Xion!" Roxas screamed, throwing himself off Seifer and running to her side. Blood, there was so much of it, pooling around her like spilled heroin. She was jerking slightly and coughing. The side of her face was soaked in her own blood.

"Don't move her!" Cloud warned when Roxas reached out to roll her over. Roxas clenched his teeth and smacked his fist into the floor as hot tears began to roll over his face.

"I'm so sorry Xion!" he screamed, his voice raw and breaking with the guilt that he had in essence helped Seifer shoot her. "Oh god..." And then someone had caught him under the armpits, hauling him up, but Roxas couldn't lock his legs and he was crying and screaming and Xion was dying and the girls were breaking down.

And Seifer... well, he ran, didn't he? As soon as Roxas' weight was off him, he was on his feet and running down the stairwell as quick as he could.

"We have to get out of here!" Zack yelled, and he began working on the knots of the ropes restraining the hostages whilst Cloud and Riku tried to figure out the best way of moving Xion without making her condition worse.

"She took a direct shot to the chest," Roxas heard one of them say, and then the person holding him up let go as they both fell to the ground. The person, who turned out to be Axel, put his hands over his face and began to tremble, staring at the ground through his fingers.

"Everyone's free, let's MOVE IT," Zack demanded. The hostages were scrambling to their feet – everyone except Sora who was too weak to move. Zack pulled him up onto his back. "We need to go, we'll worry about Xion's condition later!"

Riku and Cloud glanced at each other and then together they lifted Xion as gently as they could. Zack tore off a large piece of his shirt and gave it to Aerith to press against the wound. "Aerith, once we're out of danger, you need to do as much as you can for her."

"Xion...?" Axel moaned. It broke Roxas' heart that he looked so destroyed, Axel who didn't take shit from anybody or anyone.

"For the last fucking time people, _get out of here_!"

Somehow, Roxas found his feet. More than found them. With a sudden snarl of anger, he ran forward and grabbed one of the guns lying on the floor, and then pelted down the stairs after Seifer with his friends calling after him as he went.

"Don't do anything reckless Roxas!" he heard Cloud order, but he ignored him completely, taking each stairwell at a leap. Sweat and tears streamed down his face and his mouth was set in a feral snarl as he chased after Seifer.

"I'm going to kill that fucking bastard!" he hollered, slamming into the walls to stop his progress before turning back on himself to move to the next staircase. He was half way down the last stairwell when a heavy body smashed into him, slamming him up against the wall.

"Let me go Cloud!"

Cloud pinned Roxas firmly, using his weight to his advantage. "I am _not_ letting you go after him. You'll kill each other!"

"He deserves to _die!_ He's killed Xion for fucks sake!" Roxas spat at his brother.

"She's not dead by any stretch, Aerith is gonna fix her up and it'll be fine! Just don't do it Roxas! How do you think Sora would react if you went out there and got yourself killed?"

Roxas fixed his brother with a venomous glare. "He'd be proud that I died avenging my friend!"

"And destroyed beyond all belief, Roxas."

Roxas stopped struggling at that, his face losing some of its hatred. He slumped against the wall and ducked his head. "Gods, you're right Cloud..."

Cloud squeezed his shoulders, and then moved away. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

And then Roxas punched his brother as hard as he could in the face and ran for it. He was out of the door before Cloud had even fallen over.

"Roxas, NO!"

* * *

When Roxas emerged from the warehouse, he immediately saw Seifer sprinting across the barren yard towards the rocks that signified the start of the desert. With a scream he ran after him, his legs moving so fast that they were a blur. He was grateful now that he was lighter, faster than Seifer significantly, because he caught up on him quickly.

Seifer was aiming for an old water fountain that still worked, clearly aiming to jump over it and then run up into the rocks for cover. Roxas didn't let him get that far though. He running tackled him and they flew to the ground, pebbles cutting into their skin and Seifer howling in anger.

"Don't make me kill you too Roxas!"

"Better me than my friend! You have no idea what you've done!" Roxas grabbed Seifer's arm and stamped on it, hard. Seifer screamed with pain as the bone fractured.

"It's what you deserve, you fucking traitor!" he gasped, his eyes watering in pain.

"Getting a life and getting off drugs does _not_ make me a traitor!" A fist connected with Seifer's cheek and dust exploded around his head as it smashed into the ground beneath it. "You're going to pay for ever coming back into my life!"

"Will you shut the _fuck_ up?" With a roar, Seifer threw Roxas off him and sucker punched him. "I would kill you, but your little friends are coming, so I'll save it for another fucking time!" Sure enough, Roxas could see Zack and Cloud sprinting towards them at full pelt. Seifer turned and ran, clutching at his broken arm.

His foot was on the lip of the water fountain when Roxas pulled out his gun and shot him six times.

Roxas' scream as he kept squeezing the trigger echoed out over the empty wastelands around him. His hair was matted with blood and stuck to his face which was soaked in tears and dirt. Even after he emptied the chamber he kept firing, staring at the holes in Seifer's back which were gushing blood already.

Seifer looked over his shoulder in shock, and crashed into the water fountain. He died with his eyes wide open and his blood staining the water red around him.

Roxas dropped the gun, and sank to his knees.

"It's over," he whispered. He could hear Zack and Cloud approaching, their boots thumping on the ground and their breathing harsh and irregular. It was the last thing he heard before he passed out on the ground.

* * *

Roxas awoke in a hospital.

He sat up, awake instantly, his eyes wild. Sora was sleeping in a chair next to him, covered in bandages and band aids. Kairi was next to him, awake.

She was crying.

"Hi Roxas," she sniffed, wiping her eyes ineffectively.

"How long have I been out?"

"A day or so. You missed the police. They were trying to award you a medal for bravery."

Roxas scoffed in amazement. "Seifer had it coming. There was nothing brave about it. Is Sora okay?"

"Physically, yeah."

Roxas sighed, looking over at his boyfriend. Sora was sleeping fitfully, a frown on his bruised face. It broke Roxas to see that there were tear tracks drying on Sora's face.

"This is all my fault."

Kairi said nothing. Roxas exhaled slowly, bowing his head. He asked the question to which he really didn't want to hear the answer.

"Xion?"

Kairi's lip trembled, and she shook her head. "We lost her before we even got to the hospital," she sobbed, her face falling into her hands as she began to cry properly, howling out her grief.

Roxas clenched his hands into the sheets of his bed, rested his forehead on his fists, and screamed.

* * *

The funeral was quickly arranged. Because Xion hated religion, her family agreed to cremate her. There were no words of God's guidance as they sat in the crematorium. Only words of family and friends.

Roxas thought he could hardly bear it when he was asked to make a speech. Knowing he had played a part in Xion's death had killed something deep inside him, and no amount of consoling from Sora or any of his friends would bring it back to life. His eyes were glazed and vacant as he stepped up to the podium and spoke to the congregation.

"Xion was, and always will be, the strongest woman I have ever known," he said, his voice slightly dull. Sora watched him miserably from the front row, his arm around Kairi who was inconsolable at the loss of her roommate. "She was... funny, and full of life. To lose her so early on is... it's not right. It's unjust.

"When you walked into a room, Xion stood out. She was the life and soul of everything. Every party she threw, every..." Roxas paused here and took a deep, gulping breath before continuing, "Every... every drinking game she initiated."

There were a few humourless, reminiscent laughs here which petered away rapidly.

"I just can't believe that's it for her. She had the potential to become so much. She was an incredible singer, a born performer, and one of my closest friends. And I am gonna miss her... _so much_."

Tears bubbled over his eyelids then, and he saw people beginning to weep as his lip trembled. "I don't wanna say goodbye... but I have no choice. Xion, good night, and sleep tight."

As he stepped off the stage, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

* * *

After the funeral, Roxas and Sora stood outside the crematorium, away from the mourners. They wrapped their arms around each other and cried into each other's shoulders.

"What you said..." Sora hiccupped, wincing as it hurt his broken ribs. "You spoke for every person when you said those words."

"I didn't deserve to say good bye to her," Roxas said, his fingers laced into Sora's hair. "I killed her."

"You can't keep blaming yourself for this!" Sora protested, lifting his head up and looking Roxas in the eyes. "It was an accident! Seifer is _dead_, and he was the only one who needed punishing for Xion's... Xion's death."

He could see though that his words had no effect. Roxas still blamed himself, and would likely continue to blame himself for a long time afterwards.

"C'mon. Let's go home," Sora sighed.

"I... I think I'm gonna go back to my place."

"Oh, okay... We can go there if you like," Sora started, but Roxas interrupted him.

"No, you go back to yours Sora. Maybe it's... maybe it's better if we don't see each other for a while." He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.

"What? What the hell are you talking about? After all you went through to save me, you're going to distance yourself from me?" Sora's tears had stopped now, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. "After _everything_ we went through together?"

"I'm bad news, Sora. Ever since you met me you've had nothing but trouble," Roxas said, not looking at Sora but staring off into the distance. "I need to concentrate on my music now, and you should concentrate on university. I need some time."

"So... you're breaking up with me?" Sora began to hyperventilate and the tears started again. His chest hurt. Roxas looked away with a pained expression.

"Yeah, I am. But only... only for a little while. If you want, when I'm ready, we can give it another go."

"When _you're_ ready?" Sora choked, clutching his chest. "Don't I get any choice in this at all?"

Roxas looked at him sadly. His eyes were still a horribly dull blue, as if he had lost his life force. "You'll know when I'm ready. If you can forgive me when the time comes... and if you want to get back together, then we will. But for now...

"It's over."

* * *

_The End?_


	26. Epilogue: Ocean Avenue

_Of course that wasn't the end! Did you REALLY think I was going to leave it on such a miserable note? XDD_

_Sorry for putting you all through that. And sorry that the previous chapter seemed so rushed as well, as many of you pointed out. I was trying to go for fast-paced, but it seems that I failed :(_

_So, this is the epilogue. The final, FINAL chapter. I'll say more at the end. For now, all you need to know if that the song is "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard, and I highly recommend that you listen to it. It's rather integral to the chapter._

**_Disclaimer: _**_Not mine._

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**Kiss and I Will Surrender**

Epilogue

Ocean Avenue

_Four Years Later_

Today felt like a good day. As he closed the door to his apartment and headed down the hallway, Sora could feel a light spring to his step, as if the very air held a positivity it hadn't done for a long time. He tipped a salute to the old guy at the end of the corridor who was just coming home, and the man nodded and smiled.

"You look happy today," he observed in his reedy voice as he fumbled for his keys. "Something good happen?"

"Not yet," Sora said, but he was grinning. "But we've got the whole day yet."

The old man nodded. "Quite. Have a nice day."

"You too!" Sora continued on to the elevator and thumbed the down button. As he waited for it to arrive, he jiggled his legs to try and alleviate some of the energy that was coursing through his veins today.

He didn't know _why_ he was so happy. He hadn't had anything to be truly happy about in a long time. Well, that sounded ungrateful. He had good friends, a decent job, and a nice apartment. His love life was somewhat non-existent but he was fine with that. But all that seemed so mediocre after the elation he had felt every day all those years ago. Back then, every day was a new adventure, and it always started with blue eyes and blond hair and a kiss.

He supposed he had never really gotten over Roxas. Not when it had ended so suddenly, with almost no explanations. Roxas had broken up with him right in the midst of the trauma of losing Xion, and Sora had had trouble sifting through his grief for losing Xion and his broken heart. Maybe that was for the best, but at the time, he had been so broken that he hadn't eaten for at least a week. He'd spent the weeks following that in a glazed, emotional trance, prone to fits of hysteria at any moment.

He was exceptionally paranoid now. He had constant fears that all his friends would leave him, just like Roxas had done, and this paranoia also prevented him from kick-starting his love life. It didn't help that nobody he saw could even compare to Roxas, be they male or female. Sora had lost all interest in both sexes.

Yes, he'd had a few one night stands, with guys and girls, but none had been satisfying, and none had even compared to sleeping with Roxas.

Everything revolved around his ex, even four years down the line.

Four years, and he still hadn't heard from Roxas.

_You'll know when I'm ready._

Sora didn't doubt that he would know. But how long did Roxas need? And after all this time, surely Roxas had already moved on to someone else? He used to sleep around all the time after all. He could have returned to old habits.

It pained Sora to think so lowly of Roxas, but after the low blow of being dumped on Xion's funeral day, Sora still hadn't quite forgiven him. He wasn't even sure he could bring himself to take Roxas back, should Roxas ever send out this magical sign that he was ready to give it another go.

But if he didn't, Sora would grow old a lonely man, and he knew that in his heart. Roxas was the only one who could make him happy. He was also the one with the ability to hurt Sora the most. And he had done just that.

Sora suspected that Roxas was probably feeling very guilty for all that had happened. After all, Sora had been kidnapped, beaten to within an inch of his life, and lost one of his dearest friends. He wouldn't be surprised if the guilt would stay with Roxas forever, even if Sora didn't him blame him one bit for all that had happened. Not even Xion's death. _Nobody_ blamed him for that.

The elevator dinged at last, and Sora stepped in, pressing the button for the ground floor. It descended slowly, and he stared vacantly at his expression in the mirrored walls as he waited. His hair was longer than it had been four years ago, the weight meaning it no longer stuck up in every direction. Okay, it still did that, but not _as_ much.

He'd lost a lot of weight as well. His relationship with food had deteriorated to the point of him only really eating one meal a day. He just didn't have an appetite any more. He wasn't dangerously thin, like Roxas had been when he first met him, but Sora certainly wasn't the lean muscled gymaholic he had once been.

His skin was marred with lots of tiny thin scars now as well. They weren't obvious even from a few feet, but Sora knew they were there, so he always saw them. The scars of his beatings back when he had been held hostage covered nearly every inch of his body, like little glass scratchings. He couldn't stand them. He shuddered when he looked at himself in the mirror after taking a shower.

He finally arrived on the ground floor of his apartment complex and walked quickly out onto the street, marching past street vendors and dodging the stragglers as he headed towards the city centre at a fast walk. Midgar had acquired quite a few new skyscrapers in the past four years, and they towered over him as he walked between them.

He stopped at Starbucks briefly and bought a coffee before proceeding into the building across the street. The foyer was teaming with office workers, and Sora joined the throng heading towards the elevators. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his hoody and jeans, but most were accustomed to his presence and paid him no attention.

He sipped quietly at his coffee as he squeezed into an elevator with a load of other people. Most of them also had Starbucks cups in their hands; some had more than one and were presumably bringing them for their colleagues. Sora got out on the twelfth floor, leaving the paper-pushers to head higher up.

He walked into his office to the usual hellos and slaps on the back. Everyone here was dressed the same as him. Graphics designers don't care so much for looking smart in their offices.

He slid into his cubicle and booted up his PC, setting his coffee on the desk next to a pile of papers his supervisor had blatantly left there for him to go through. One was a rough story board, the rest were forms he was required to sign concerning copyrights.

"I smell Jamaican blend, that means Sora's here!"

Sora looked up with a wide smile for Kairi. She had managed to get a job as a secretary for their company, and was the first person he saw every morning without fail. Her head had poked over his cubicle wall like a meerkat, and she was inhaling the coffee aroma deeply.

"Hey Kai," he chuckled. Her eyes widened a tiny fraction.

"_You're_ happy today," she observed. "Did something good happen?"

"Not yet," he repeated, unable to keep the smile off his face. He felt _so_ good today, so positive. He couldn't explain it at all.

As per usual, Naminé popped into his cubicle next, stealing a drink of his coffee. "Morning sunshine," she sang, ruffling his hair. "How's my favourite boy today?"

"Happy," Kairi said to her, and Naminé looked more closely at Sora's face.

"So he is!"

"Do I always look miserable or something?" Sora groused, though there was no negativity behind it.

The girls laughed and joked with him for a bit until their supervisor Aqua came strolling down the aisle and they fell back into their own cubicles.

"How's my much-loved graphics designer today?" Aqua asked, not seeming as if she really cared. Her eyes were focused on the papers Sora had signed. "Did you look through the story board Terra proposed?"

"Yeah, I think I can work with it. When do you need it for?"

"Have a draft ready by the end of the week." With that, Aqua swished off, taking her precious forms with her.

The day progressed then as it always did. Sora hunched over his computer and did his job to the best of his ability, occasionally leaning back and stretching so his back popped. The office was always a bit stuffy, but he didn't mind because it had been quite cool outside today. Inside, it was quiet save for the tap of keyboards or the sigh of the photocopier. He supposed it was weird, but work was one of the only places he could actually relax.

At about eleven o'clock, Naminé sent him an email tagged as "URGENT". He frowned, opening it up to find a website link and a message from Naminé saying "Put your headphones in."

He did so, looking over at her cubicle quizzically. She smiled and made a little ushering gesture with her hand.

Sora put his headphones on his head and clicked the link. A youtube page opened, and his stomach twisted into a little origami shape when he saw the title of the video – _Reizones NEW Single! "Ocean Avenue"._

Roxas' band had taken the musical world by storm in the past four years. They currently had one multi-platinum album and were rumoured to be releasing another one soon, and had just come back from an international tour. Sora had followed their rise to fame avidly, pleased to see that Roxas was following his dream. He had even seen a few interviews with Cloud and Roxas' parents, and was touched to see that they were proud of both their sons for making it so far.

He paused the video before it began, letting it load, and tapped his pencil on his desk as he stared at the screen. The screencap of the video was of the band on what looked to be the end of a jetty jutting out into the sea. Tropical foliage was in the background, with a glimpse of beach to the right. It looked really similar to his island back home actually, almost identical in actual fact.

The red loading bar reached halfway, and Sora pressed play.

"_There's a place off Ocean Avenue_

_Where I used to sit and talk with you_

_We were both sixteen and it felt so right_

_Sleeping all day, staying up all night."_

Sora felt his heartbeat increase a little as he listened to the lyrics. This was... extremely personal sounding. Another verse progressed in much the same fashion and Sora couldn't help but reminisce of all the times he and Roxas had spent together.

Roxas looked so much older now. He had kept his edgy image, but it had matured with him, though his eyes always seemed a little haunted and dead to Sora. But now, there was a light in Roxas' eyes that made them seem as if they were looking through the screen directly at Sora.

And then the chorus played, and everything clicked into place.

"_If I could find you now things would get better,_

_We could leave this town and run forever,_

_I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together,_

_Let your waves crash down on me_

_And take me away!"_

Sora stared in disbelief. Every positive hint he had felt throughout the morning suddenly amassed together like a nuclear reaction inside his head as he realised that _this was it_. This was the sign that Roxas was ready! And now that it was presented to him on a plate, no fucking way was he going to turn it down.

No wonder he had been feeling so good today. Fate must have been anticipating this. He had to get out of here, he had to leave now, find Roxas...

"What's this? Not slacking off are we?" Aqua bent over his shoulder, a stern expression on her pretty face. Still a bit shell-shocked, Sora pulled his headphones out and let the music play on his loudspeakers.

One chorus was all Aqua needed.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" she demanded, yanking him to his feet and shoving his bag into his arms. "Go!"

"R-really?" Sora stammered, clutching his bag awkwardly. The whole office had stopped to listen when the music had come on, and now people were standing and clapping, or running over to urge him out of the door. Kairi and Naminé were _hugging_ each other.

"Go!" everyone chorused, breaking out into full applause now. The whole office was on their feet, clapping and cheering, and oh Jesus was Kairi _crying?_

"I'm giving you a week's paid vacation, starting immediately. Now get out of my sight!" Aqua shoved him towards the elevator, people still clapping and whooping, and then she pushed Sora in once the doors opened. "Go get your man," she said with a wink, and then the doors closed on his old life.

* * *

Sora had never run so fast in his life. His converse smacked the pavement as he pelted through the streets, aiming directly for BBS Records where he knew the band had a record deal. There was no questioning that Roxas would be there. Sora didn't know his new address for one thing, and they were probably in the middle of lots of promotional stuff there anyway, so it was the logical place to find Roxas.

The record company was only three blocks over, and Sora ran the entire way, knocking into people without apologising and his heart beating in his head and his face flushed with anticipation, elation and excitement.

He skidded into the luxurious foyer of the tower and nearly fell over a low bench in his scramble to get to the reception desk. A middle aged woman behind the desk looked at him critically, with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"May I help you, young man?"

"I need to see Roxas Strife, immediately!"

Both eyebrows shot up into her hairline at the demand. "Do you have an appointment?"

Sora blustered. "Well, no, but I... He'll want to see me, believe me!"

"No appointment means no access," she chimed, and as if Sora had suddenly vanished before her, she turned back to her computer screen.

"You don't understand! This is important!" he shouted, reaching over the desk and grabbing the top of her computer monitor.

She looked up at him with irritation. "Young man, fans of Roxas Strife come in here every day begging to see him, claiming to know him. They all say it's important, but all they want is an autograph."

"_I don't want a fucking autograph!"_ he yelled, making her jump. "This is _fucking _important!"

"What could be so important that you risk being apprehended by security for verbally abusing a receptionist?" she asked coldly. Sora could see in his peripheral vision that the security guards had taken an interest in the commotion he was causing.

"He's got a date with me," a voice said behind Sora.

Sora knew that voice anywhere. He whirled on the balls of his feet, and sure enough, Roxas was standing behind him, one hand in his jeans pocket and a pair of shades pushed up on his head. He had acquired a few arm tattoos since their last meeting, and was now several inches taller than Sora. He had gained muscle in his shoulders and biceps as well. He was almost unrecognizable as the emaciated boy Sora had met through a friend all those years ago.

Roxas was grinning so hard it was dazzling. Sora stared.

"Shall we?" Roxas offered his arm, and in a daze, Sora reached out and took it, relishing in the warmth of Roxas' skin and the smell he had missed so much. The receptionist and pretty much every other person working in the building gawked as the famous singer led Sora through the foyer – Sora who must have stood out like a sore thumb in his ratty old work clothes and his slightly-too-long hair.

Sora was barely aware that they were moving. His feet worked on autopilot as Roxas coolly directed them towards the exit. Sora couldn't get over how tall the blond was now. His face was a mere shadow of the troubled man he had once been. The bags under his eyes were gone. Roxas had always been beautiful, even when he had been at his worst, but now... Sora was in pure awe.

So much so that he was forgetting to be cross at Roxas. He had originally intended to shout at him first. Scream at him for the purgatory he had put Sora into for the past four years. Lord knew that Roxas deserved it.

But upon seeing his face, Sora knew he was home.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Roxas was looking at him with concern. Sora vaguely registered that they were outside and making their way around the building towards it's private garage. The sound of Roxas calling his name was enough to tear him into little pieces, ready for Roxas to put back together and make him whole once again. He had been empty for so many years, and now his final piece was here, smiling down at him in all his former radiance and more.

It was too much. Sora bit his lip and scrubbed furiously at his eyes with the hand that wasn't looped through Roxas's proffered arm, but it wasn't any good. He started to cry silently.

The sounds of the outside world died as they stepped into the darkness of the private garage, and Roxas pulled them to a stop. "Hey," he called softly, taking Sora's face in both hands. "Don't cry." His thumbs scraped gently over Sora's cheeks, wiping tears off the skin which were only replaced by more. Sora covered his eyes with one arm and let the tears roll over his face.

"I..." he started, trying not to let his voice crack. "I... I can't believe what a bastard you are!"

He felt Roxas's grip on his face tighten minutely, but other than that Roxas didn't respond. He had apparently been expecting something like this.

"F-four years! And not even so much as a card at Christmas!" Sora could feel his voice getting a little stronger now. He needed to do this. Even if he was intending on taking Roxas back in the end, he had to let his grief out. He had been a zombie for the past four years, one that only came back to life at the mention of Roxas's name or when he heard the man's music.

Roxas needed to understand. Because if he thought he would be able to do it again, he was very, _very_ wrong.

"Do you have..." Another pause as Sora hiccupped, "Do you have _any_ idea how crap this has been? And you think I'll just... just take you back like nothing happened?"

He was taken by surprise when Roxas pulled him into a tight, unexpected hug. Roxas' arms were tight around his shoulders, and he felt the blond rest his forehead on the top of Sora's chocolate spikes. Sora's face was pressed against Roxas' chest, and he shivered at the warmth there.

"Of course not," Roxas whispered into his hair. He was backing up, and Sora followed him until Roxas' back came into contact with the concrete wall. Cars gleamed a couple of metres away from them and were the only witness to the embrace. Sora could feel Roxas trembling against him.

"I know I don't deserve you," Roxas breathed, and his voice cracked heavily. It nearly broke Sora's heart. He didn't want to make Roxas sad. He just wanted to make it clear how much the past four years had hurt.

"I know that there is nothing I can do to make it up to you," Roxas continued. His fingers dug into Sora's back. "I... I know that. But know this. I p-promise that I will never, _never_ put you through that again. You will be treated with all the love and respect you deserve if you ever take me back. Anything you want, you can have it. Every morning, you'll wake up to breakfast in bed and a kiss, if that's what you want. I'll tell you I love you every minute, of every day. Because it's true. I love you, Sora. I love you so much that the past four years have been absolute torture. Knowing I could find you, but not being ready to..."

Sora felt himself being tugged back a little, and moved readily. He wiped away some more tears that were dribbling down his face and stared up into the face of the person his heart would always have a space for.

"I meant what I said in the song," Roxas said honestly. He wasn't crying, but he looked like he was trying not to. His bright eyes were swimming with unshed tears. "We can leave Midgar if you want, get out of the city and leave our old lives behind. I'll give up my career and I can find another job. We can live in your hometown, go to the island everyday... If that's what you want. The possibilities are endless, as long as we do it together.

"I need you. And I'm finally ready to admit that and accept it. I'm ready to shoulder my guilt for everything that happened and be the perfect boyfriend... The perfect life partner. If you'll have me."

Finally, his speech at an end, Roxas bent down and kissed him.

And hell did Sora kiss back. He threw his arms around Roxas' shoulders and pressed himself up against him. There was a grunt as Roxas' back smacked into the wall, and that grunt transcended into a groan as their lips parted and their tongues slid against each other, relearning their individual tastes.

Sora didn't have to say anything. Roxas had said it all for the both of them. As long as they were together from now on, life was perfect. Life was complete. It didn't matter where they were. It didn't matter what jobs they had. Hell, it didn't matter if they lived in the secret cave on Sora's island for the rest of their lives, as long as they were together.

He poured all his emotion into the kiss, and Roxas matched it with his entire life force. Roxas' hands trembled as they ran over Sora's back, slid around to his sides to trace his ribs, and then moved up over the brunet's chest before coming to rest on either side of his face again. With difficulty, they broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Take me back?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

* * *

_Would you believe that it's been a whole year since I started this story? It took me a YEAR to write twenty six chapters. I'm actually quite emotional now that it's over. And I'm sorry to say that there won't be a sequel :( Though there may be occasional oneshots following up from this or set within the timeline of the story, I just don't have the interest I had in KH to write another multichapter for it. As a lot of you may have noticed, the Naruto fandom has more or less stolen my soul and that's pretty much how it's gonna be for a long time. But I just started playing Birth By Sleep, so WORRY NOT. THERE WILL BE ONESHOTS. BEAUTIFUL, PORNY ONESHOTS._

_The only thing left to say is Thank You. Thank You for the reviews, faves and alerts. The words of encouragement. The critiques. The way some of you followed this story so religiously. It means the world to me as an author. This has been a great learning curve for me. I hope to put all that I have learned to good use as I write my book. If it ever makes it, you'll all be the first to know!  
_

_THANK YOU! _


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